NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information his Department holds on the number of subcontracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Hugo Swire: There are no subcontracted staff based in London working in my Department.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Communication

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he has undertaken to reduce jargon and promote plain English in Departmental communications.

David Mundell: It is Scotland Office policy that all communications should be written in plain English.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not hold any pay information relating to sub-contracted staff.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) women and  (b) men have been appointed to public duties by his Department since May 2010.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State recently appointed Mrs Paula Sharp as a member of the Boundary Commission for Scotland from 1 January 2011 for a period of four years. He also re-appointed an existing Commissioner, Mr Ken McDonald, from 7 June 2011 for a further four years.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State appointed a new Commissioner to the Boundary Commission for Scotland from 1 January 2011 for a period of four years. He also re-appointed an existing Commissioner for a further four years from 7 June 2011. Commissioners are remunerated at £505.50 per day.

Employment Rights: Students

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Universities Scotland on the effects in Scotland of the Government's proposals on employment rights for  (a) work placements within degree programmes and  (b) employment between periods of undergraduate and postgraduate study.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland discussed the Government's consultation on the student immigration system with the convenor of Universities Scotland in December.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with colleges in Scotland on the effects of the Government's immigration policy on the further education sector in Scotland.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland met representatives from Scotland's Colleges' Principals' Convention earlier this month and discussed a range of issues important to the further education sector, including the Government's consultation on student immigration.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with representatives of the further and higher education sector in Scotland on the effects of the Government's immigration policy on  (a) numbers of students and  (b) economic and employment in Scotland.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland has had a number of discussions with the Scottish further and higher education sector about the Government's immigration policy. Most recently, he discussed the Government's proposals on student immigration with representatives from Scotland's colleges' principals' convention earlier this month, and with the Convenor of Universities Scotland in December.

Low Incomes

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the  (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and  (b) Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the provision of financial assistance to motorists on low incomes in urban areas of Scotland following the increase in the level of value added tax and fuel duty.

Michael Moore: I have regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on a range of issues. The tax and benefits system as announced in the Budget provides a range of support to people on low incomes, including the £1,000 increase in the income allowance, whether or not they own a car.

Refinery and Petro-Chemical Operations

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the involvement of Petrochina in the refinery and petro-chemical operations at Grangemouth.

David Mundell: The arrangement between Ineos and Petrochina is a commercial matter for the companies themselves. My officials kept me in touch with developments throughout the process.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Pollution: Greater London

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Mayor of London on the Air Quality Strategy for London.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for the Environment met the Mayor of London most recently on 27 July 2010, to talk about a number of issues including waste, water supply and air quality.
	There have also been, and continue to be, frequent meetings between officials in DEFRA, and officials in the Greater London authority, and Transport for London, to discuss the Mayor's Air Quality Strategy.

Departmental Manpower

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) total and  (b) annual average salary was of staff employed on fixed-term contracts in her Department in the latest period for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The information requested is detailed as follows:
	 Core DEFRA, Animal Health (AH) and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
	Core DEFRA, Animal Health and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate operate the same pay and conditions and, therefore, the information has been merged.
	 (a) The total (annualised) salary of those staff on fixed-term appointments (FTA) within core DEFRA, AH and VMD, as at 31 December 2010, is within £1,731,797.
	 (b) The average salary of FTAs within core DEFRA, AH and VMD as at 31 December 2010 is £36,846.74.
	 The Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
	 (a) The total (annualised) salary of those staff on fixed-term appointments (FTA) within CEFAS, as at 31 December 2010, is £704,574.
	 (b) The average salary of FTAs within CEFAS as at 31 December 2010 is £20,130.69.
	 The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera)
	 (a) The total (annualised) salary paid to fixed-term appointments (FTA) within Fera as at 31 December 2010 is £576,994.
	 (b) The average salary of FTAs within Fera as at 31 December 2010 is £21,090.
	 The Rural Payments Agency (RPA)
	 (a) The total (annualised) salary paid to fixed-term appointments (FTA) within the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) as at 1 January 2011 is £1,222,704.
	 (b) The average salary of FTAs within RPA as at 1 January 2011 is £25,473.
	 The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
	 (a) The total (annualised) salary of those staff on fixed-term appointments (FTA) within VLA, as at 31 December 2010, is £652,702.
	 (b) The average salary of FTAs within VLA as at 31 December 2010 is £24,174.15.

Departmental Manpower

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff are employed on fixed-term contracts in her Department; and what the job title of each is.

Richard Benyon: The information requested is detailed as follows:
	 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Core DEFRA)
	(a) The number of fixed term appointments (FTA) within Core DEFRA, as at 31 December 2010 was 22.
	(b) The job title of each FTA within DEFRA, as at 31 December 2010 is as follows:
	Debt Recovery Officer
	Administrative Assistant
	Chief Executive Officer-Shared Services
	Head of Business Effectiveness-Shared Services
	Head of Service Delivery and System and Supplier Management-Shared Services
	Economic Adviser
	Administrative Officer
	Assistant Economist
	Survey Support Officer (x5)
	Web Developer
	Chief Scientific Adviser
	Economist on Waste Economics
	Assistant Statistician
	Legal Trainee
	Lawyer
	Policy Adviser
	Work Force Planning, Leadership and Talent
	Data Sharing Programme Director
	 Animal Health (AH)
	(a) The number of fixed term appointments (FTA) within AH, as at 31 December 2010 was 25.
	(b) The job title of each FTA within AH, as at 31 December 2010 is as follows:
	Welsh Language Translator
	Chief Executive
	Project Manager (x3)
	Director Corporate Services and Chief Information Officer
	Finance and Administration AO
	Veterinary Inspector (x3)
	Admin Officer (x5)
	Admin Officer-TB (x4)
	Admin Officer-Notifiable disease (x2)
	Admin Assistant-tracings
	Admin Assistant (x2)
	Admin Officer-customer contact
	 Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
	(a) The number of fixed term appointments (FTA) within VMD, as at 31 December 2010 was 0 (zero).
	 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
	(a) The number of fixed term appointments (FTA) within CEFAS, as at 31 December 2010 was 35.
	(b) The job title of each FTA within CEFAS, as at 31 December 2010 is as follows:
	Administrative Support Officer
	Analytical Chemist (x2)
	Aquatic Product Evaluation Manager
	Assistant Analytical Chemist (x2)
	Assistant Fisheries Observer (x2)
	Assistant Shellfish Hygiene Data Officer
	BEEMS Administrator
	Benthos Laboratory Assistant
	Business and Contracts Manager
	Ecosystems Modeller (x3)
	Environmental Scientist
	Finance and Resources Administrator
	Fisheries Researcher
	Helpdesk Analyst
	IT Systems Manager
	Laboratory Support Technician
	Laboratory Technician
	Marine Biologist
	Marine Ecologist (x2)
	Microbiologist
	Plankton Taxonomist (x3)
	Recruitment Officer
	Research Contracts Manager (x2)
	Research Programme Manager (x2)
	Scientist
	 Food and Environment Research Agency ( F era)
	(a) The number of fixed term appointments (FTA) within Fera, as at 31 December 2010 was 30.
	(b) The job title of each FTA within Fera, as at 31 December 2010 is as follows:
	Account Assistant
	Account Manager
	Admin Assistant
	Agricultural Surveyor
	Analytical Chemist
	Assistant Diagnostician (x2)
	Assistant Ornithologist (x3)
	Ecologist
	Environmental Scientist
	Environmental Statistician
	Field Ecologist
	Footpath Warden
	Laboratory and Apiary Technician
	Order Processing Administrator
	Plant Health Support Team Administrator (x2)
	Principal Apiarist
	Resourcing Team Leader
	Ruddy Duck Control Officer (x2)
	Scientific Officer
	Seasonal Bee Inspector (x3)
	Senior Management Accountant (x2)
	Veterinary Adviser
	 Rural Payments Agency (RPA)
	(a) The number of fixed term appointments (FTA) within RPA, as at 1 January 2011, was 4.
	(b) The job title of each FTA within RPA, as at 1 January 2011 is as follows:
	Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) Change Agent
	Programmes and Projects Management Purchase Order (PO) User
	Service Desk Analyst
	Team Leader PO User
	 Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
	(a) The number of fixed term appointments (FTA) within VLA, as at 31 December 2010 was 27.
	(b) The job title of each FTA within VLA, as at 31 December 2010 is as follows:
	Pay Band C (Scientist) (x2)
	Pay Band C (Veterinarian) (x2)
	Pay Band D (Scientist) (x4)
	Pay Band D (Administrator) (x2)
	Pay Band D (Librarian)
	Pay Band E (Scientist) (x4)
	Pay Band F (Scientist) (x4)
	Pay Band G (Administrator) (x6)
	Pay Band G (Laboratory Attendant) (x2)

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing her Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The Department does not hold central records of the rates paid to sub-contracted staff by their contracting agencies and to collate these would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Department contracts with the agency to pay an agreed total fee which would include the agency margin for their costs/profit.
	The rate paid to sub-contracted staff by the agencies employed by the Department would be a matter between the person and their relevant agency.

Environment Agency: Manpower

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many field flood engineers the Environment Agency employed in each of the last three years.

Richard Benyon: Latest available data from an exercise carried out in 2009 estimated that 230 field flood engineers were employed at the time. This is not expected to be subject to significant annual variation. The Environment Agency does not collate this information on an annual basis.

Fisheries: Quotas

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons unused cod quota held by produce organisations is not reallocated to the under 10-metre fleet in area V11D.

Richard Benyon: There are several reasons why the in-year reallocation of unused quota is not currently undertaken, eg quota holders may be retaining their quota to fish later in the year, or to use as swap currency to acquire different quota. The prospect of such reallocation can encourage a race to fish, which could mean that fish is targeted out of season, thus increasing effort and discards of other stocks. Such reallocation may also impact on prices due to a surplus of fish on the market. Furthermore, there is also a risk of 'ghost' fishing in order to secure ongoing access and prevent reallocation-something that is difficult to enforce against.
	I recognise the difficulties currently facing the under-10 metre fleet, and that relying on quota swaps and gifts is not sustainable. I am committed to reform of the fisheries management arrangements, and a consultation is due to be launched in the spring, including a further look at the issue of quota uptake and distribution. In the meantime, discussions continue with producer organisations to consider what support they can offer the under-10 metre fleet in the short-term.

Flood Control: North West

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to allocate funding for flood defences to  (a) the North West,  (b) Cumbria and  (c) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 21 January 2011
	 The indicative funding allocation proposals for flood and coastal erosion risk management projects for 2011-12 are currently subject to discussion between the Environment Agency and its regional flood defence committees.
	Final decisions on the allocation of 2011-12 funds to regional committees will be made in February or March by the Environment Agency's Board, and decisions on the programmes of schemes to be delivered next year will be made by the committees in April.
	Decisions on funding for future years will depend on the outcome of DEFRA's "Future funding for Flood and Coast Erosion Risk Management" consultation.

Redundancy

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in her Department have been made redundant since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: Fewer than five members of staff in DEFRA have been made redundant since May 2010. It is DEFRA's policy for reasons of confidentiality not to release full details relating to numbers of staff fewer than five where to do so might lead to the identification of individual cases.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Attorney-General what information the Law Officers' Departments hold on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing their Departments who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dominic Grieve: The Law Officers' Departments do not stipulate that sub-contracted staff must be paid the equivalent or above the London living wage on any of its contracts, although there would be an expectation that all would be paid at least the national minimum wage. The Attorney-General's Office has identified five sub-contracted staff who are paid at a rate below the London living wage.
	The remaining Law Officers' Departments either do not directly employ any sub-contracted staff or do not hold details of rates paid to individuals by agencies or firms for sub-contracted services, such information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Rape: Offences Against The Administration of Justice

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2010  Official Report, column 447W, to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North, on rape: offences against the administration of justice, if he will consider the merits of collecting data on the number of women prosecuted for  (a) perverting the course of justice,  (b) perjury and  (c) wasting police time following the withdrawal of a complaint of rape or domestic violence.

Dominic Grieve: The official crime statistics and the collection of data to support them is a matter for the Ministry of Justice. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data systems are not capable of capturing such information.
	However, in view of public interest in these offences and how they are prosecuted, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) commissioned a one-off survey of all 42 CPS areas to gain a snapshot of the number of prosecutions of complainants who had made allegations of rape, for perverting or attempting to pervert the course of public justice. The survey is informing the action the CPS is taking to address public concerns in this area.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burma: Malaria

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department holds on the areas of Burma which have the highest rates of malaria.

Alan Duncan: According to the World Health Organisation, malaria is endemic in 284 of the 325 townships in Burma. An estimated 68% of Burma's population is at a risk of contracting the disease, the most vulnerable being those who work in logging, plantation agriculture and the construction of roads and dams. The areas with the highest rates of transmission of malaria are in hilly and forested border areas.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: There are currently eight full-time and 10 part-time staff employed by MITIE to work in the Department for International Development's (DFID's) London headquarters, who are paid below the London living wage.

Food Aid

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department plans to provide for research on  (a) the sustainability of global food supply chains and  (b) food security in each of the next four financial years.

Alan Duncan: Decisions on future funding to agricultural research have not been finalised. Future funding will be decided upon following the conclusion of the ongoing bilateral and multilateral aid reviews.

Sudan: Asylum

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department plans to provide to refugees in south Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: Through the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), the Department for International Development (DFID) is providing support to UN agencies, such as the High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), to monitor the situation of refugees entering southern Sudan from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
	DFID is also providing assistance via the CHF to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning from the north of the country to southern Sudan. Over the last 11 weeks more than 183,000 IDPs have reached the south from the north. DFID has provided support to a humanitarian contingency fund which goes towards providing food, shelter, cooking utensils, medicines, and emergency water and sanitation for a period of three months. This is delivered by international and national NGOs and the UN. Addressing issues such as the separation of families, particularly children from adults, are also supported by this mechanism. The UK is working with the Government of Southern Sudan, the UN and other partners to start to address the longer-term integration and livelihood needs of both the refugees and the returnees.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to support the development of civic society in south Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: Where possible, UK aid programmes in southern Sudan use local non-government organisations (NGOs) and community based organisations (CBOs) as implementing partners. Where this is the case we provide additional support to strengthen the organisation itself. For example, the DFID-managed multi-donor Basic Services Fund requires international NGOs to guide and mentor local NGOs and CBOs on needs identification, delivery, and implementation, so that they are able to manage larger funds themselves in the future.
	I am currently reviewing all DFID's bilateral aid to ensure that it is spent where need is greatest and in ways that will achieve the maximum impact.

World Bank: Food Aid

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the operation of the World Bank's Global Food Crisis Response Program.

Alan Duncan: The UK Government indirectly support the Global Food Crisis Response Program (GFRP) through our core contribution to the World Bank Group. The UK currently has no plans to provide funding directly to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund of the GFRP. The UK continues to provide support for food security and agriculture in developing countries through other multilateral agencies and the Department for International Development's country programmes.

World Bank: Food Aid

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department has given to the World Bank's Global Food Crisis Response Program in the last two financial years.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development has not provided any funding to the World Bank's Group's Global Food Crisis Response Program (GFRP), other than indirectly through our core contributions to the World Bank's International Development Association which co-funds the GFRP.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he plans to provide open access to broadband providers to networks established in the high speed broadband pilot areas.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 18 January 2011
	Broadband Delivery UK is in the process of designing the models for commercial deployment of broadband with public support in commercially challenging areas, which includes the selected pilot sites.
	Procurements will be under EU procurement rules, which require access obligation when public money is invested.

Broadband

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects on UK competitiveness of the change in the target date for universal broadband service from 2012 to 2015.

Edward Vaizey: The Government's approach to broadband is to drive the rollout of superfast broadband to as much of the country as possible and to deliver at least a decent level of broadband access to virtually everybody as part of that commitment. That approach is underpinned by the work that BDUK conducted over summer 2010 examining the choice of cost effective solutions available to provide a minimum level of coverage to all premises without access to at least 2 MBps. Among the conclusions of that exercise was that a universal service commitment should not be seen as separate from the superfast broadband objective, but rather an integral part of pushing next generation networks deep into rural Britain. The £530 million allocated to support broadband rollout up to 2015 will help the UK achieve its aim of having the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.

Broadband

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to introduce a second round of broadband pilots.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport announced on 6 December that the next £50 million of the £530 million allocated to support broadband rollout would be made available early in 2011. Broadband Delivery UK will be working with local authorities throughout the UK to give them guidance on how to apply for the next round of broadband projects. We expect to invite bids from April 2011 and to announce the successful projects in May 2011.

Broadband Delivery UK

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether Broadband Delivery UK has issued tender documentation in respect of the four high speed broadband pilot areas.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 18 January 2011
	To date no tender documents have been issued.

Broadband: Finance

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated to support the four high speed broadband pilots.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 18 January 2011
	 The precise amount of funding will depend on the procurement for each project but we expect to allocate between £5 million to £10 million to each pilot project.

Broadband: West Lothian

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 588-89W, on broadband: Scotland, by what date he expects the West Lothian local authority area to begin to benefit from greater availability of superfast broadband.

Edward Vaizey: Parts of West Lothian already have market-led access to superfast broadband-BT's Livingston Station exchange has been enabled to receive its superfast broadband product and Virgin Media's services are also available in the area.
	The Government's £530 million of support for broadband rollout is targeted at those areas-predominantly rural and remote-that will not be served by the market in a reasonable timeframe. The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport announced that the next £50 million of the support for broadband rollout will be available to support projects from 2011-with bids expected to be invited in April 2011.

Cricket: Television

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress he has made on making future home Ashes test matches available on free-to-air television.

Edward Vaizey: In a ministerial statement to Parliament on 21 July 2010, the Government announced their decision to postpone the previous Administration's review of free-to-air listed events but with a commitment to review the position more fully in 2013 following the completion of digital switchover in 2012. The current list of events will remain in force.

Departmental Working Conditions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his Department's policy is on  (a) the space provided per employee,  (b) home working and  (c) hot desking; how many employees it has on average per desk; and how much space on average there is per employee.

John Penrose: The Department's policy on  (a) the space provided per employee is to meet the Government's 10m(2) per full-time equivalent (FTE) workplace standard and on  (b) home working is to encourage all forms of flexible working patterns including home working where this can cost-effectively deliver against business needs. The Department's policy on  (c) hot desking was to fully implement it on 29 March 2010 at a ratio of 10 staff to eight desks and the average space per employee is 10.5m(2) per FTE.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to extend the deadline for digital radio switchover.

Edward Vaizey: No deadline for digital radio switchover has been set. A decision to set a date will be only be made once the listening and coverage criteria have been satisfied.

Digital Broadcasting: Television

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to assist  (a) elderly people and  (b) people on lower incomes with the transition from analogue to digital television in 2012.

Edward Vaizey: The Government and the BBC have set up the Digital Switchover Help Scheme (DSHS) to offer those 75 or over, disabled and visually impaired people and care home residents practical help to make the switch to digital television on one of their sets.
	We estimate that over 7 million households will be eligible for help through the switchover period.
	By January 2011, DSHS had mailed nearly 4 million people and completed 430,000 installations and deliveries.
	Participating in the scheme costs a subsidised £40. However, help is available free of charge where the eligible person is also in receipt of certain income related benefits.
	The help scheme is rolled out in each TV region as switchover approaches and every eligible person in that region is contacted directly by post in the run up to switchover.
	The help scheme will:
	provide easy-to-use equipment that suits a person's needs;
	help with installing equipment;
	fit a new dish or aerial, where they can, if it is needed to make the new equipment work;
	give people an easy-to-understand demonstration of how everything works;
	provide a free telephone support service and a comprehensive network of trained and accredited installers that will be able to deal with any queries about installation or use; and
	develop links with local charities and voluntary groups to identify ways in which they can help support aspects of the Help Scheme.
	The scheme is funded through £603 million ring-fenced within the BBC's licence fee income over the period of switchover.

HMS Victory 1744

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2011,  Official Report, column 387W on HMS Victory 1744, what steps he has taken to monitor and protect the wreck site of HMS Victory pending the publication of the joint response.

John Penrose: The wreck is that of a sovereign immune state vessel, which means that no intrusive action may be taken without the express consent of Her Majesty's Government.

Libraries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many libraries offer reading groups for young families; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: This information is not held by the Department. However, according to The Reading Agency (TRA) report Reading Groups in Libraries: Mapping Survey Findings (September 2008):
	"the most popular type of reading group linked to libraries is the adult group, of which the survey estimates there are 4,546 in England and Wales. Other popular groups include Chatterbooks groups for children up to 11 years (an estimated 550), teen or young people's groups (238), visually impaired people's groups (134) and women's groups (113)."
	Outreach work like this helps libraries to attract new audiences and is a valuable example of how libraries can and do play an important role in delivering priority policies like literacy improvement, support for families, health and happiness development and building community cohesion.

S4C

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport for what reasons S4C is included in schedule 7 to the Public Bodies Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: In line with planned reforms, S4C is included in schedule 4 of the Public Bodies Bill as this provides for the power to modify S4C's funding arrangements.
	S4C is also included in schedule 7 as it lists all public bodies which were subject to the public bodies review and which would require legislation to effect any possible changes in the future. For example, this could include a scenario where further reform is needed to provide for the new partnership arrangements with the BBC Trust.

S4C

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what legal advice he has received in respect of the inclusion of S4C in schedule 7 to the Public Bodies Bill.

Edward Vaizey: Departmental lawyers were involved in the drafting of the clauses and schedules of the Public Bodies Bill. The inclusion of S4C in schedule 7 is entirely consistent with the approach followed across the entire programme of public bodies reform which is itself the result of discussions that have taken place between Ministers, lawyers and policy officials in the Cabinet Office and all Government Departments. I have not requested any legal advice on this individual issue as it relates to the wider approach taken in drafting the Bill.

Telecommunications

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the merits of taking steps to assist towns and cities that have a significant number of media businesses to upgrade their communication infrastructure using dark fibre.

Edward Vaizey: The Government's recently published broadband strategy is aimed at providing a policy and regulatory environment that supports private sector investment in new communications infrastructure.

Television

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations he has received on his proposed local television pilot scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: My officials and I have received representations about local television from a wide range of interested parties.
	Last week we published our Local Media Action Plan, which invites views from industry and the public, as well as expressions of interest from organisations interested in bidding for a new network channel that will host local TV services. The plan was informed by Nicholas Shott's review of local TV, during which a great many existing and aspirant national and local media groups were consulted.

Theatres: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many theatres are in receipt of Government funding; how much each such theatre received in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: A copy of a table detailing each theatre in receipt of Government funding, how much each theatre received in 2010-11 and how much they will be awarded in 2011-12 will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Theatres: Public Expenditure

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he  (a) has visited theatres in an official capacity since his appointment and  (b) has held discussions with theatre management on the effects of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review on the theatre industry; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State has visited theatres in an official capacity and has also held discussions with members of the theatre industry on the effects of the comprehensive spending review.

Tourism: Marketing

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to support businesses in the North East following changes to arrangements for Government support for the promotion of tourism;
	(2)  what transitional support his Department provides to assist businesses in the North East in respect of changes to Government funding for the promotion of tourism.

John Penrose: The Government have emphasised the significance of tourism to the economy and continue to work with the industry in promoting the visitor economy. We will invest almost £130 million from 2011-12 to 2014-15 in promoting tourism across the country through VisitBritain and VisitEngland.
	Under the new arrangements we are introducing, the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will become leading economic drivers and they will need to work with local tourism bodies and industry in their areas. In addition, VisitEngland has established a transition team to assist Destination Management Organisations and Local Enterprise Partnerships in this process, particularly where RDA resources have been withdrawn. We will also continue to discuss further avenues of support with other Government Departments. The Regional Growth Fund, worth some £1.4 billion, is open for tourism-related applications, and presents an important opportunity for the sector, including in the north-east.

YouView

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on the contribution of YouView to television in the UK.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport met with the chairman of YouView on 9 December 2010.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Australia: Floods

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to assist the Australian Government in their response to the flooding in Queensland; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on 12 January 2011 and offered UK assistance should it be required.
	My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary met their Australian counterparts in Sydney on 18 January 2011. They agreed that the UK will provide experts in flood recovery management and in advanced flood forecasting methods.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited one site of the flooding in Brisbane with his Australian counterpart on 19 January 2011. He praised the Australian authorities' response and emphasised that the UK is keen to do what it can both to help manage the effects of the floods and to help with future planning.

Burma: Politics and Government

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the political situation in Burma concerning the Government of Burma and armed groups on ceasefire.

Jeremy Browne: The Government continue to receive regular reports of sporadic fighting along the Thai-Burma border. Regime attempts to force ethnic ceasefire groups to join their national Border Guard Force and restrictive elections have further marginalised key ceasefire groups and escalated tensions
	We regularly point out to Burma and its neighbours that there is little prospect of lasting peace and stability until the regime pursues a political settlement that takes account of the legitimate aspirations of Burma's ethnic groups. Our Charge d'Affaires in Bangkok raised the issue of refugees fleeing across the Thai-Burma border as a result of recent fighting with the Thai Foreign Minister on 19 January 2011.

Burma: Politics and Government

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of the government of Burma with UN General Assembly Resolutions on Burma.

Jeremy Browne: The latest UN General Assembly resolution on Burma in November 2010 expressed deep concern at the regime's failure to address calls in previous resolutions to improve the human rights situation. It highlighted the regime's continued violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms and stressed that without significant progress the situation would continue to deteriorate.
	It is this continued failure by the Burmese regime to respond to international concerns that underpins UK support for the UN Special Rapporteur's call for the UN to consider a Commission of Inquiry.

Burma: Politics and Government

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects his Department funds to promote  (a) democracy and  (b) human rights in Burma.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to prioritise the promotion of democratic values and human rights protection in Burma. We have supported a number of projects, inside the country, in Thailand and in the UK, to work towards this aim. Our embassy in Rangoon currently provides funding for three projects in Burma through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's strategic priority fund on human rights and democracy. The projects help to nurture conditions for democratic transition, through supporting civic empowerment and giving people the skills needed to drive change. We work closely with the British Council and Department for International Development to deliver this work.

China: Human Rights

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues were discussed at the recent UK-China Human Rights Dialogue; and whether any commitments were given on human rights in Tibet by the Chinese delegation.

Jeremy Browne: The UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 13-14 January 2011 involved discussions on the full range of human rights issues. This included the rights of detainees, migrant rights, capital punishment, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, China's plans for ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the situation in Tibet and Xinjiang and a number of individual cases. There were also detailed expert discussions on the role of police in criminal trials and the use of minority languages in education.
	The Chinese delegation did not give us any commitments on human rights in Tibet.

Departmental Photography

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010.

Jeremy Browne: Two Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officers are trained in photography and cover FCO events at no additional cost. The FCO has spent £10,254 since May 2010 on rights to reproduce photographs.

Departmental Video Recordings

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on film production, including the filming of speeches, since May 2010.

Jeremy Browne: The total cost of film production since May 2010 is approximately £49,776. Over the last nine months, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) videos have been viewed around 150,000 times through the FCO's YouTube channels, including films in Arabic and Farsi with over 30,000 YouTube viewings and many more through partner media organisations. The videos communicate UK policy on issues such as the Middle East Peace Process or Iran to an international audience.

Europe 2020 Strategy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy and objectives.

David Lidington: I have regular discussions with colleagues on a range of policy issues regarding European economic reform and growth. The Government agrees that the EU should undertake serious structural reform and supports the wider ambition of the Europe 2020 strategy, and is considering how implementation will be taken forward.

Lebanon: Politics and Government

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has said, the collapse of the National Unity Government is an extremely serious development which could have grave implications for Lebanon and for regional stability. The UK has called on all parties to work together for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of  (a) 29 November and  (b) 16 December 2010 regarding a constituent, Mrs Lodemore.

David Lidington: The correspondence from my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay was received on 5 January 2011. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), replied on 21 January 2011 following his return from overseas.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of  (a) 29 November and  (b) 16 December 2010 regarding a constituent, Miss Tizzard.

David Lidington: The correspondence from my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) was received on 11 January 2011. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), replied on 21 January 2011 following his return from overseas.

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with his  (a) American and  (b) Chinese counterpart on the de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary discussed North Korea most recently with the Chinese Government during the visit of Li Keqiang earlier this month. We talk regularly to the US Government in Washington and Seoul on North Korea. We strongly support a process which involves building trust and confidence between North and South Korea with the view of seeing a return to negotiations. All parties in the region have a strong interest in this and we have made clear that we would consider any request to provide practical assistance.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many times service personnel have been delayed returning to the UK on rest and recuperation from Afghanistan since January 2010; and what the reasons were for the delay in each case;
	(2)  how many times  (a) military and  (b) civilian personnel had extended deployments due to the unavailability of air transport to return them from Afghanistan since January 2010.

Nick Harvey: The information is not held in the format requested.
	The reasons for individual travel and for each specific delay are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Delays may occur for a number of reasons and individual taskings could be delayed for more than one reason, including: Air Traffic Control and airspace restrictions; missing theatre arrival slot times; technical and equipment failures; absence of diplomatic clearance; weather; expiry of crew duty hours; passenger and ground handling issues; fuelling; and holding aircraft to facilitate deployment of priority aeromedical taskings.
	Delays to flights for personnel leaving theatre do not constitute extended deployments. We do not hold information that indicates whether personnel have been delayed beyond their planned deployment end-dates.

Air Force: Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate of the level of future expenditure on work classified as redevelopment at each RAF base in the UK was made in his Department's annual planning round in 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The outcome of the planning round in 2010 was re-costed as part of the strategic defence and security review and the comprehensive spending review. The outcome of both reviews will be enacted through planning round 2011, which will allocate future budgets. This is expected to conclude in the early part of 2011.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the change in the level of annual compensation for a single amputee is in each  (a) rank and  (b) force as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index;
	(2)  what the change in the level of annual compensation for a double amputee is in each  (a) rank and  (b) force as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr Howarth) on 17 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 587-89W, and to the ministerial statement I made on 9 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 34-36WS.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will estimate, on the basis of the 2010 figures for the retail prices index and the consumer prices index, the change in unemployability allowance payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70, (d) 75, (e) 80, (f) 85, (g) 90 (h) 95 and (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index;
	(2)  if he will estimate, on the basis of the 2010 figures for the retail prices index and the consumer prices index, the change in disablement gratuity for each specified minor injury to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index;
	(3)  what estimate he has made, on the basis of the 2010 figures for the retail prices index and the consumer prices index, of the savings which will accrue to his Department from the change in pension indexation from the retail prices index to the consumer prices index in each financial year to 2019-20;
	(4)  if he will estimate, on the basis of the 2010 figures for the retail prices index and the consumer prices index, the change in disability pension payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until (a) 60, (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will estimate the change in the level of pension payable to a widow of a senior NCO widowed at age 40 years and living to  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90 , (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years arising from a calculation on the basis of the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index;
	(2)  if he will estimate the change in the level of  (a) compensation benefit and  (b) pensions payments per annum a 27-year-old corporal who lost both legs in Afghanistan would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index if he or she lived until (i) 60, (ii) 65, (iii) 70, (iv) 75, (v) 80, (vi) 85, (vii) 90, (viii) 95 and (ix) 100 years old.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr Howarth) on 17 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 587-89W, to the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire (Gemma Doyle) and the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones); and to the ministerial statement I made on 9 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 34-36WS.

Defence Vetting Agency: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in his consideration of the merits of merging the Defence Vetting Agency with the vetting services of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and when a decision on this matter will be reached.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has been working with the Cabinet Office for some time on the opportunities to streamline and simplify security vetting across Government. Currently the processing of vetting is conducted by two organisations, the Defence Vetting Agency and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services. We continue to look closely at what further improvements could be made as part of the overall efficiency and reform agenda while maintaining the highest standards of protection for HMG assets. No decision has been taken about merging vetting services.

Defence: Sales

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department has given to use of Ministry of Defence equipment by the Territorial Army for training purposes as an alternative to the sale of such equipment.

Andrew Robathan: The Army allocates equipment to units across the whole Army (regular and territorial) according to their directed tasks and roles. All units are provided with sufficient equipment to complete their planned training, and to conduct their endorsed day-to-day business. Where units or personnel, including Territorial Army, are involved in an operation they will be equipped accordingly to enable them to prepare for and carry out their designated roles and tasks in support of that operation.
	Before equipment is deemed surplus and disposed of, any possible further use, whether by regular or reserve forces, is carefully considered.

Departmental Manpower

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Peter Luff: All Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts let in the UK are governed by UK law. There is a statutory obligation for UK employers to pay the national minimum wage. The MOD does not collect information about the wage rates paid by its contractors in London.

Nimrod Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which company will be responsible for dismantling the Nimrod MR4A aircraft; if he will estimate the cost of dismantling; and whether such dismantling will include the aircraft Nimrod PA04.

Nick Harvey: Once BAE Systems has removed onboard equipment and systems from the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft, including PA04, they will be dismantled on the Ministry of Defence's behalf by Metal and Waste Recycling Limited. This company is one of the contractors used to dispose of surplus defence equipment through specialist marketing agreements that have been completed in accordance with European Union procurement regulations. It is not yet possible to confirm the cost of dismantling the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft.

Peacekeeping Operations

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many service personnel who served in Bosnia are in receipt of an armed forces pension;
	(2)  what the  (a) average,  (b) highest and  (c) lowest annual compensation payment is to service personnel who served in Bosnia;
	(3)  what the  (a) average,  (b) highest and  (c) lowest annual compensation payment is to service personnel who served in Sierra Leone.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) average,  (b) highest and  (c) lowest annual compensation payment was to service personnel who served in Bosnia in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 21 January 2011,  Official Report, column 1016W, to the right hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Mr Murphy), the hon. Member for West Dunbartonshire (Gemma Doyle) and the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).

EDUCATION

Academies: Hendon

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent progress has been made on his Department's Academies programme in Hendon constituency.

Nick Gibb: The London Academy has been running successfully since 2004.
	Five Expressions of Interest to convert to academy status have been received by the Department for Education from schools in the Hendon constituency. One application to convert to academy status has been received by the Department.
	Officials will continue to work with schools across the country, providing information in response to expressions of interest and supporting schools once they have decided to convert to academy status.
	The list of converting schools can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/a0069811/schools-submitting-applications-and-academies-which-have-opened-in-201011

Academies: Religion

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons his Department did not include an obligation to provide religious instruction in its legislative proposals for the Academies Bill 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Academies Act 2010 provides minimal prescription in legislation in order to provide autonomy and freedom to schools who gain academy status. All academies are however required by their funding agreements to make provision for the teaching of religious education. It is an academy's funding agreement that has, since the inception of the programme, been used as a mechanism to uphold the core principles that an academy must agree to follow and there are no plans to change this.
	The Department for Education has also worked closely with both the Church of England and the Catholic Education Service to ensure that those faith voluntary-controlled or voluntary-aided schools who wish to convert have their religious position protected. The faith model documentation therefore protects on conversion the position around religious education and instruction in these schools.

Curriculum: Languages

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken towards establishing modern foreign languages as part of the primary school curriculum from the 2011-12 academic year.

Nick Gibb: The Government believe that learning a language is important to the social and economic future of the country and to help children understand the world in which they live. We have announced a review of the National Curriculum, which will consider the status of languages at both primary and secondary level. We are consulting a wide range of academics, teachers and other interested parties to ensure that our core curriculum can compare favourably with those of the highest performing countries in the world.
	We know that some 90% of primary schools are already teaching languages to at least some of their seven to 11-year-olds. We appreciate the efforts that teachers are putting into making sure that children in primary schools are taught languages. It is thanks to their work that pupils not only learn a language but also come to appreciate other cultures. Given its importance, primary schools that are teaching languages should continue to do so.

Education Maintenance Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of people  (a) of each gender,  (b) with a disability and  (c) from each ethnic background who received an education maintenance allowance in 2009-10.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operates the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Glasgow North West with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 13 January 2011:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ32995.
	The information provided below is for take-up of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in the 2009/10 academic year. Equal opportunity monitoring questions are asked on the application form but applicants may choose not to answer some or all of these questions.
	EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	
		
			  Gender  Number 
			 Male 174,547 
			 Female 173,511 
			 Not specified/preferred not to say 296,463 
		
	
	
		
			  Disability  Number 
			 Disabled 1,366 
			 Not disabled 368,301 
			 Not specified/preferred not to say 274,854 
		
	
	
		
			  Ethnicity  Number 
			 Bangladeshi 2,124 
			 Indian 2,838 
			 Pakistani 5,583 
			 Other Asian 1,593 
			 Black/Black British African 4,792 
			 Black/Black British Caribbean 2,389 
			 Black/Black British Other 433 
			 Chinese 469 
			 Other Ethnic Group 19 
			 Mixed White/Asian 724 
			 Mixed White Black African 398 
			 Mixed White Black Caribbean 1,762 
			 Mixed Other 994 
			 White British 70,457 
			 White Irish 222 
			 White Other 2,557 
			 Not specified/preferred not to say 547,167

Education Maintenance Allowance

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people have received education maintenance allowance in  (a) Wallasey constituency,  (b) the Wirral borough council area,  (c) the North West and  (d) England in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Wallasey with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 19 January 2011:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ33870.
	Information on the number of young people who have received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at local authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	Take-up figures are:
	
		
			  Academic year  Wirral LA  North West  England 
			 2006/07 4,252 84,409 526,808 
			 2007/08 4,424 87,568 547,235 
			 2008/09 4,561 83,992 576,144 
			 2009/10 4,894 101,526 644,497 
			 2010/11 as at 31 December 4,435 94,686 605,035 
		
	
	EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
	http://ema.ypla.gov.uk/resources/research/takeup/

Education Maintenance Allowance

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people were in receipt of education maintenance allowance in Henley constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 January 2011
	This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) which operates the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Henley with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 19 January 2011:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ34227.
	Information on the number of young people who have received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at local authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	As at 31 December 2010, the take-up figure for young people in Oxfordshire who have received EMA during the 2010/11 academic year was 4,223.
	EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
	http://ema.ypla.gov.uk/resources/research/takeup/

Free School Meals: Durham

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of school pupils in North West Durham constituency claim free school meals.

Nick Gibb: Information on free school meal eligibility is shown in the table.
	The answer includes full time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part time pupils aged five to 15 known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1,2)  and special schools( 3) : school meal arrangements( 4,5,6)  North West Durham-January 2010 
			   Number on roll( 4,5)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5)  Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5) 
			 Maintained nursery and primary(1) 6,228 1,264 20.3 
			 State-funded secondary(1,2) 3,780 583 15.4 
			 Special(3) 53 13 24.5 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (5) Includes pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15. (6) Durham local authority is participating in a pilot offering FSMs to all primary school children. The figures in this table reflect the pupils who would be eligible for FSM under the national criteria.  Source: School Census

Home Education: Durham

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the number of children in North West Durham constituency who are home-schooled.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not collect information about the numbers of home-schooled children and has not made a recent estimate of the number of home-schooled children in North West Durham constituency.

Languages: English Baccalaureate

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which languages available at GCSE level will not be included in the English baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 20 December 2010
	For the purposes of the 2010 performance tables GCSEs in all modern foreign languages including Welsh and Welsh as a 2nd Language and GCSEs in Latin, Classical Greek and Biblical Hebrew will count towards the language aspect of the English Baccalaureate. The only GCSEs not to be included are Applied French and Applied Welsh as a 2nd Language.
	We will review the precise definition of the English Baccalaureate for the 2011 tables, but would not expect to remove any of the qualifications identified for the 2010 tables.

Numeracy

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the Every Child Counts numeracy scheme.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 January 2011
	We regularly monitor the progress of the Every Child Counts (ECC) programme against a range of management information.
	Edge Hill university recently published a management report on the programme which is available on their website at the following link:
	http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/everychildcounts/general/documents/NCAnnual%20Report200910.pdf
	The programme is currently undergoing an independent evaluation, to report by spring, which will give a substantive view of the impact of the programme.

Offenses Against Children

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will establish a cross-departmental inquiry on grooming of vulnerable under-age children for the purposes of sexual exploitation; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: Sexual exploitation of children and young people is horrific. It is a form of child sexual abuse which affects all sorts of children-boys as well as girls, younger as well as older children-and is perpetrated by people from all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. It can be found in all areas of the country and the coalition Government are determined to act decisively to tackle it.
	To deal with such a complex problem effectively, we need to look at every aspect, from awareness-raising and prevention through to crime detection and victim support. That means that there must be a collaborative approach involving Ministers from a range of Government Departments as well as local authority children's services, Local Safeguarding Children Boards, and organisations like the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), Barnardo's and others, including voluntary organisations around the country.
	CEOP has agreed to conduct a thematic assessment, involving a range of agencies and organisations, which will consider the extent and scale of child sexual exploitation and the police response to it.
	Within Government, and working with national and local partners, I will lead our urgent consideration of what further action needs to be taken to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation. This will build on existing guidance and our developing understanding of this appalling abuse including through local agencies' work around the country on effective prevention strategies, identifying those at risk of sexual exploitation, supporting victims, and taking robust action against perpetrators.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his estimate is of the level of deprivation for school children resident in  (a) Reading West constituency and  (b) Berkshire using as a measure (i) eligibility for free school meals and (ii) the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index 2007.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is given in the following tables.
	
		
			  (i) Number of resident pupils( 1)  who are eligible for free school meals: 2010 
			   Number of resident pupils( 1)  Number of resident pupils( 1)  eligible for free school meals  Percentage of resident pupils( 1)  eligible for free school meals 
			 Reading West 13,853 2,153 15.5 
			 
			 Bracknell Forest 14,518 1,134 7.8 
			 West Berkshire 20,002 1,590 7.9 
			 Reading 18,476 3,304 17.9 
			 Slough 20,528 3,684 17.9 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 15,727 1,111 7.1 
			 Wokingham 19,795 892 4.5 
			 Berkshire(2) 109,046 11,715 10.7 
			 
			 England 6,758,259 1,174,249 17.4 
			 (1) Includes full-time pupils aged 15 or under and part-time pupils aged between five and 15 who are resident in England with sole and dual main registrations and attend maintained nursery, primary, secondary, maintained and non-maintained special schools, city technology colleges and academies. Includes boarders. (2) Berkshire county council was abolished in 1998 and replaced by the following unitary authorities: Bracknell Forest, West Berkshire, Reading, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham.  Source: School Census 2010 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Number of resident pupils( 1,2)  by IDACI decile: 2010 
			  IDACI decile  Reading West  Bracknell Forest  West Berkshire  Reading  Slough 
			   No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 0 to 10%-most deprived 1,376 8.6 0 0 0 0 2,139 10 978 4.0 
			 10 to 20% 2,058 12.8 0 0 733 3.2 4,003 18.8 5,983 24.6 
			 20 to 30% 2,073 12.9 220 1.4 826 3.6 2,950 13.8 6,422 26.4 
			 30 to 40% 2,122 13.2 2,159 13.3 1,351 6.0 3,318 15.6 5,495 22.6 
			 40 to 50% 874 5.4 2,865 17.7 1,715 7.6 1,313 6.2 2,322 9.6 
			 50 to 60% 1,295 8.1 2,147 13.3 2,595 11.4 2,021 9.5 940 3.9 
			 60 to 70% 1,390 8.7 2,289 14.1 3,167 14.0 1,858 8.7 788 3.2 
			 70 to 80% 2,209 13.8 1,177 7.3 5,141 22.7 1,113 5.2 780 3.2 
			 80 to 90% 1,502 9.4 2,019 12.5 2,643 11.6 1,424 6.7 576 2.4 
			 90 to 100%-least deprived 1,157 7.2 3,313 20.5 4,521 19.9 1,180 5.5 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  IDACI decile  Windsor and Maidenhead  Wokingham  Berkshire( 3)  England 
			   No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 0 to 10%-most deprived 0 0 0 0 3,117 2.5 986,773 13.2 
			 10 to 20 % 0 0 (4)- (4)- 10,721 8.6 865,456 11.6 
			 20 to 30 % 1,507 8.3 854 3.8 12,779 10.2 781,074 10.4 
			 30 to 40 % 3,339 18.3 704 3.1 16,366 13.1 729,243 9.8 
			 40 to 50 % 643 3.5 1,087 4.8 9,945 7.9 705,556 9.4 
			 50 to 60 % 1,742 9.6 (4)- (4)- 9,958 7.9 689,114 9.2 
			 60 to 70 % 2,079 11.4 1,457 6.4 11,638 9.3 678,145 9.1 
			 70 to 80 % 1,780 9.8 3,249 14.4 13,240 10.6 684,317 9.2 
			 80 to 90 % 1,558 8.5 5,531 24.5 13,751 11.0 684,564 9.2 
			 90 to 100%-least deprived 5,580 30.6 9,222 40.8 23,816 19.0 674,252 9.0 
			 (1) Includes all full-time and part-time pupils who are resident in England with sole and dual main registrations, includes boarders. (2) Includes all full-time and part-time pupils who attend maintained nursery, primary, secondary, maintained and non-maintained special schools, city technology colleges and academies. 3 Berkshire county council was abolished in 1998 and replaced by the following unitary authorities: Bracknell Forest, West Berkshire, Reading, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham. (4) Suppressed data.  Source: School Census 2010

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children receive  (a) free school meals and  (b) education maintenance allowance in each local authority ward in Hendon constituency.

Nick Gibb: The number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the table. This includes full time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged 5 to 15.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery( 1) , maintained primary( 2) , state-funded secondary( 2, 3)  and special( 4)  schools: School meal arrangements( 5) . As at January 2010. By each ward within Hendon parliamentary constituency 
			   Nursery( 1)  and primary( 2)  State-funded secondary( 2, 3)  Special( 4) 
			   Number on roll( 5, 6)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5, 6)  Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals  Number on roll( 5, 6)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5, 6)  Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals  Number on roll( 5, 6)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 5, 6)  Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 Burnt Oak 2,214 855 38.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Colindale 441 81 18.4 916 129 14.1 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Edgware 1,453 399 27.5 1,048 460 43.9 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hale 1,500 347 23.1 1,226 136 11.1 81 35 43.2 
			 Hendon 1,601 284 17.7 1,653 466 28.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Mill Hill 1,733 297 17.1 892 186 20.9 n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Hendon 920 213 23.2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hendon (all wards) 9,862 2,476 25.1 5,735 1,377 24.0 81 35 43.2 
			 n/a = Not applicable. No schools of this type. (1) There are no maintained nursery schools in Hendon parliamentary constituency. (2) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3 )Includes city technology colleges and academies. (4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (6) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 and under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15.  Source: School Census 
		
	
	The education maintenance allowance is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate this for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Neil Flint, dated 7 January 2011:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ 032502.
	The Department for Education is responsible for overall policy in these areas and will answer the first part of your question on free school meals.
	The Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) is responsible for the delivery of Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA). Information on the number of young people who have received EMA is available at local authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in an academic year.
	The take-up figure for EMA in Barnet Local Authority was 2,976 as at 30 November 2010.
	EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
	http://ema.ypla.gov.uk/resources/research/takeup/

Religious Education

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on religious education as an element of the national curriculum.

Nick Gibb: Religious education RE is a statutory part of the basic curriculum of maintained schools in England, but not a part of the National Curriculum. This means that there are no statutory national programmes of study, attainment targets or assessment arrangements. However, the locally agreed syllabus, which is designed by Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education SACRE and adopted by the local authority, is statutory, and that means that local authorities must provide such a syllabus and that maintained schools must follow it. Schools with a religious character can either follow the locally agreed syllabus, or use a syllabus which has been agreed by their governing body. It is the responsibility of the head teacher, governors and local authorities (LAs) to make the necessary provisions for RE in all maintained schools.

Religious Education

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from faith groups on the place of religious education in an English Baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: To date we have had 35 representations from faith groups on the place of religious education in the English Baccalaureate.

School Support Staff Negotiating Body: Impact Assessments

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department carried out an equality impact assessment prior to taking the decision to abolish the School Support Staff Negotiating Body.

Nick Gibb: In reaching the decision to abolish the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, the Secretary of State took full account of the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) that was produced by this Department. A copy of that EQIA will be sent to SSSNB trade union and employer organisation representatives.

Schools: Film

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department provided for FILMCLUB for recreational use of films in schools in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education announced in July 2008 that it would provide £11.4 million to fund the roll out of FILMCLUB That funding was for £3.1 million in 2008-09, £3.7 million in 2009-2010 and £4.6 million in 2010-11.

Schools: Hendon

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on school standards in Hendon constituency.

Nick Gibb: No representations have been received on school standards in Hendon. In 2009, the most recent year for which constituency level data are available, 76% of pupils in Hendon achieved level 4 or above in English and maths combined at key stage 2, compared with 72% in England. At key stage 4, 55.3% of pupils in Hendon achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, including English and maths, compared with 50.9% in England. Constituency level data for 2010 will be available shortly.

Schools: Personnel

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  which employee groups within his Department's responsibilities are covered by a national pay body; which such pay bodies have been abolished in the last year; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what mechanism he plans to put in place to ensure fairness, consistency and local flexibility in pay and conditions for school support staff following the abolition of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect on schools of the abolition of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body.

Nick Gibb: The School Teachers Review Body (STRB) examines and reports on matters relating to statutory conditions of employment of school teachers in England and Wales as may be referred to it from time to time by the Secretary of State for Education. The School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) was established by the previous Government in 2009, with a remit that includes considering, with a view to reaching agreement on, matters relating to the remuneration and conditions of school support staff working in maintained schools in England.
	No changes are planned to the role or remit of the STRB, but on 28 October the Secretary of State for Education announced his intention to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity to abolish the SSSNB. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement issued by the Secretary of State for Education on 28 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 14-15WS. In reaching this decision, full account was taken of the associated equality impact assessment, a copy of which is being sent to the union and employer representatives on the SSSNB.
	Since its establishment, the SSSNB has not submitted any agreements to the Secretary of State who has now withdrawn the matters that had been referred to the SSSNB by the previous Secretary of State. Because of this, the process used to determine the pay and conditions of school support staff remains unchanged and these will continue to be determined at a local level. Employers are, of course, under an obligation to ensure that any pay and grading structure that they put in place complies fully with the requirements of equality legislation.
	The Government believe that schools should be free to organise staff and resources to address local priorities and needs, without undue or unnecessary influence, or intervention, from Government. The existence of a national negotiating body for support staff pay and conditions is not consistent with this aim.

Schools: Sports

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of school sport partnerships in  (a) all school settings and  (b) primary schools.

Tim Loughton: While some school sport partnerships have helped schools to raise participation rates in areas targeted by the previous Government, they have also locked schools into a rigid network while forcing them to report on progress which impedes schools' ability to promote sport. The Government are also concerned that, despite this heavy focus on targets, the proportion of pupils playing competitive sport regularly has remained disappointingly low. Only around two in every five pupils play competitive sport regularly within their own school, and only one in five plays regularly against other schools.
	Good schools know that playing sport has many benefits. Our approach is to maximise the resources available to schools to allow school leaders to decide how best to provide those benefits for pupils, without specifying a national blueprint of partnerships, programmes and central support.
	The Secretary of State's announcement on 20 December outlined the additional central resources available to schools for school sport.

Vocational Education: Special Educational Needs

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration Professor Alison Wolf's review of vocational education will give to pupils with special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Professor Wolf's review is considering the appropriate place of vocational education for all 14 to 19-year-olds, including those with special educational needs. She will report her conclusions in the spring.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to provide a substantive answer to question 29768, on questions tabled for named day answer, tabled on 6 December 2010 for named day answer on 9 December 2010.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 15 December 2010
	A response to PQ29768 was issued on 19 January 2011,  Official Report, column 858W.

WALES

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information her Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing her Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Jones: The Wales Office does not hold any pay information relating to sub-contracted staff.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how many  (a) women and  (b) men have been appointed to public duties by her Department since May 2010;
	(2)  what public appointments she has made since her appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled.

Cheryl Gillan: None.

Driving Standards Agency: Cardiff

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent  (a) discussions and  (b) correspondence she has had with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport responsible for the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) on the proposed closure of the DSA office in Cardiff.

David Jones: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on a range of issues.

Driving Standards Agency: Cardiff

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when she was informed of the decision to close the Driving Standards Agency in Cardiff; and by whom she was informed of that decision.

David Jones: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport and his ministerial team on a range of issues.

VAT

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate she has made of the sum which will accrue to the Exchequer attributable to the proposed increase in the standard rate of value added tax in Wales in each of the next five years.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	The estimated total revenue gain from the VAT rate increase on 4 January 2011 is £12.1 billion for 2011-12. We have not attempted to attribute that revenue to particular areas of the UK.

PRIME MINISTER

10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality

Chris Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister what wine was served at the reception at 10 Downing street on 18 January; and at what cost to the public purse.

David Cameron: There were no costs to the public purse.

Members: Surveillance

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Prime Minister whether there have been any changes to the Wilson doctrine since May 2010.

David Cameron: No.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Billingsgate Market: Conditions of Employment

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether financial assistance from  (a) his Department and  (b) the EU is available to fund the restructuring of terms and conditions of employment for licensed porters at Billingsgate Fish Market;
	(2)  what regulations with national extent govern the licensing arrangements for porters at Billingsgate Fish Market;
	(3)  what discussions his Department has had with the City of London Corporation on the licensing arrangements of the porters at Billingsgate Fish Market; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Licensing arrangements and terms and conditions for porters at Billingsgate market is not for central Government. It is a local issue. The City of London corporation is the landlord of Billingsgate market and the porters are employed by individual fish merchants. I understand that the Billingsgate market byelaws cover aspects of licensing arrangements for porters, but there may of course be licensing issues that extend beyond the reach of byelaws. The City of London has made an application to the Department for Communities and Local Government for the revocation of byelaws relating to Billingsgate market. At present, the application is being considered by officials in my Department and no decision has yet been made as to whether or not to grant provisional approval for the revocation.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government does not give any financial assistance to fund the restructuring of terms and conditions of employment for licensed porters at Billingsgate fish market, and the EU Fisheries Fund does not cover the restructuring of the terms and conditions of employment for the licensed porters.
	I can confirm that my Department has had no discussion with the City of London corporation on the licensing arrangements.

Bus Services: Concessions

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the funding allocation in respect of concessionary bus travel was to  (a) Oxfordshire district councils for 2010-11 and  (b) Oxfordshire county council for 2011-12.

Bob Neill: Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant, ie authorities are free to spend it on any service. For this reason, and due to the method of calculating formula grant, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant has been provided for any particular service, including concessionary travel.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to help local authorities to bring derelict buildings back into use following changes in the administration of empty dwellings management orders.

Andrew Stunell: In addition to the proposed changes we will be making on empty dwelling management orders, we have recently completed a consultation on the New Homes Bonus which includes the option of including empty homes within the scheme. This could provide local authorities with a powerful incentive to tackle empty homes as part of their overall approach to meeting housing need.
	We will also provide £100 million for housing associations and local authorities to bring over 3,000 empty homes back into use as affordable rented housing. This will enable local authorities to tackle the most difficult properties by providing renovation works and management support.
	We will also be reforming the Public Request to Order Disposal (PROD) process. It enables local authorities and citizens alike to ask for the Government's help to bring under or unused land and buildings, owned by various public bodies, back into use. The reforms will enable communities to have greater influence on shaping the future of their areas.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders: Brighton

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in Brighton and Hove were subject to an Empty Dwelling Management Order in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008,  (c) 2009 and  (d) 2010.

Andrew Stunell: No properties have ever been subject to an empty dwelling management order in Brighton and Hove.

Home Information Packs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable he has set for the abolition of home information packs.

Andrew Stunell: The Localism Bill was laid before Parliament on 13 December 2010 and includes a provision to formally abolish home information packs. Subject to parliamentary approval, the provision will come into force when Royal Assent is achieved.
	The Secretary of State suspended the home information pack duties by an Order made under s162 of the Housing Act 2004 which came into effect on 21 May 2010.

Local Government Finance

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements he has put in place for his Department's internal review of local government finance; what time scale he has set for the review; with whom his Department plans to consult; from whom it plans to take advice as part of its evidence-based approach; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Local Growth White Paper "Local Growth: realising every place's potential" confirmed that the Local Government Resource Review would consider proposals to allow local authorities to retain locally-raised business rates. The review will commence in January and develop proposals by July 2011. The Secretary of State will make an announcement shortly about the review and its terms of reference.

Thames Tideway Tunnel

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations his Department has made to Thames Water on the Thames Tideway Tunnel; and if he will publish each item of correspondence between his Department and Hammersmith and Fulham Council on this matter.

Bob Neill: My Department has made no representations to Thames Water on the Thames Tideway tunnel or exchanged correspondence with Hammersmith and Fulham council on this matter.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made on updating ODPM circular 01/2006 (Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites); when he expects an updated or replacement circular to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) on 17 January 2011,  Official Report, column 497W.

JUSTICE

Departmental Artworks

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on artwork since May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice and its agencies have spent no money on artwork since May 2010.

Departmental Artworks

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many artworks his Department has moved since May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice does not hold a central record of artwork that has been moved. Providing these details would require individual offices being contacted separately and a sift through their specific records. As a result the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Offices

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on the redecoration of ministerial offices since May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: No ministerial offices have been redecorated since May 2010. Therefore there has been no expenditure on this.

Departmental Official Cars

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) make and  (b) model was of each Government Car Service car that have been used by his Department since May 2010; and which Minister used each car.

Kenneth Clarke: Between May and September 2010, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) was allocated four cars to its Ministers. One was a Jaguar XJ TDVi Sovereign, one was a Toyota Prius T3 and two were Honda Civic ES Hybrid. This was supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
	Since September 2010, I have an allocated Jaguar XJ TDVi Sovereign, which other departmental Ministers are expected to make use of, before calling on the car pool. The majority of journeys made in pool cars since September 2010 were made in a Toyota Prius T3 or a Honda Civic ES Hybrid, with occasional journeys in other Government Car Service approved models. It is unfortunately not possible to provide a list of which ministerial journeys have been made in which models.
	The Home Office provides the arrangements in relation to the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice, who also has ministerial responsibilities at the Ministry of Justice.
	The Government's policy is that Ministers may make use of the Government Car Service (GCS) under the terms of the new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010. This states that
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	The Ministerial Code is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Official Cars

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Ministerial cars have been used by his Department since May 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: Between May and September 2010, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) was allocated four cars to its Ministers. This was supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
	Since September 2010, I have an allocated car, which other departmental Ministers are expected to make use of, before calling on the car pool. It is unfortunately not possible to identify how many different cars have been used by MOJ Ministers since September 2010.
	The Home Office provides the arrangements in relation to the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice, who also has ministerial responsibilities at the Ministry of Justice.
	The Government's policy is that Ministers may make use of the Government Car Service (GCS) under the terms of the new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010. This states that
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	Ministers are permitted to use an official car for official business and for home to office journeys within a reasonable distance of London on the understanding that they would normally be carrying classified papers on which they would be working. Where practicable, Ministers are encouraged to use public transport.
	The Ministerial Code is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: This information is not held centrally. Prime contractors are obliged to notify my Department of any sub-contractors they intend to use, but this typically extends to the name and address of the sub-contractor and does not include detail of the actual number of sub-contracted staff or their pay rates. Further, information on sub-contracted companies could be gathered only at disproportionate cost, as a data collection exercise would entail a manual search of procurement case files.

Departmental Pay

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) total cost to his Department of expenditure on salaries and  (b) average cost of such expenditure in respect of staff employed on fixed term contracts in his Department was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kenneth Clarke: In the financial year 2009-10 the Ministry of Justice spend £2,743,368,000 on staff salaries. This figure is published on page 92 of the Ministry of Justice Resource Accounts 2009-10 and can be found at the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/moj-resource-accounts-2010.pdf
	With regard to the question about the average cost in respect of fixed term staff, this information is not held centrally and it would incur disproportionate cost to produce such a figure. Information on staff salaries and staff employment status are not held on the same database. It would be necessary identify each staff member on a fixed contract and find their salary in order to generate an average.

Departmental Photography

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has spent £2,577 on photography since May 2010. This expenditure was by Her Majesty's Courts Service and the National Offender Management Service for official events.
	In MOJ headquarters, all photography is done in-house by the Communications team at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

Departmental Redundancy

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: There have been no redundancies since May 2010, therefore there are no costs.

Departmental Redundancy

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in his Department have been made redundant since May 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: Since May 2010, no staff redundancies have occurred. Where reorganisations have taken place, any displaced staff have been redeployed to alternative duties, gained employment elsewhere, or have applied for and received voluntary early departure.

Departmental Travel

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on Ministerial travel since May 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: Between May and December 2010, the Ministry of Justice spent £14,000 on ministerial public and overseas transport costs via GPC. This includes the costs of officials travelling with Ministers as these costs cannot be broken down without incurring disproportionate costs.
	£284 was spent between May and October on taxi fares for Ministers.
	This Department spent £152,000 on the Government Car Service for ministerial transport between 1 May and 31 December 2010.

Departmental Travel

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on travel by officials since May 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: Ministry of Justice HQ has spent £1,235,588 on travel by officials since May 2010.
	HM Courts Service has spent £1,640,638 on travel by officials since May 2010.
	The National Offender Management Service has spent £8,888,000 on travel by officials since May 2010. This figure does not include travel costs for long-term detached duty and overseas travel. In both these cases travel and subsistence costs are accounted together and it would incur disproportionate costs to analyse each transaction to determine whether it is a travel or subsistence charge.
	The Office of the Public Guardian has spent £118,000 on travel by officials since May 2010.
	The Tribunals Service does not have separate accounts for travel and subsistence for the period requested. It would incur disproportionate costs to analyse each transaction to indentify whether it is a travel or subsistence charge.
	All staff are responsible for minimising business travel and are advised to consider whether they can use video or teleconferencing instead of travel. When travel is necessary staff are instructed to choose the most effective means of travel in terms of time, cost and sustainability to minimise carbon footprint.

Divorce

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals in respect of divorce settlements.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Family Justice Review is considering the process around divorce and financial settlement on divorce (ancillary relief) but not the substantive law. Concurrent consideration of these technically difficult areas would have been unmanageable and impinge on the deliverability and timescale for much needed reform of the family justice system overall. The review is due to publish an interim report in the spring.
	On 11 January the Law Commission launched a public consultation on marital property agreements, following the decision of the Supreme Court last year in Radmacher  v. Granatino. The Law Commission is seeking views on the desirability and feasibility of a range of potential options for reforming the law of pre-nuptial, post-nuptial and separation agreements-contracts made by couples before or during their marriage or civil partnership that are intended to govern their financial arrangements if the relationship ends. The consultation closes on 11 April 2011. The Government will await recommendations from the Law Commission before considering how to proceed.

Drugs: Reoffenders

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of those convicted of drug-related offences in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009 had a previous conviction of any sort.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 gives the figures for the percentage of offenders convicted of drug offences in 2007-09 who had previously been convicted for any type of offence(s).
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of offenders convicted for drug offences who had a previous conviction for any type of offence(s) in 2007-09 
			  Year of sentence  Percentage 
			 2007 82.0 
			 2008 82.3 
			 2009 83.1 
		
	
	The figures presented in table 1 have been taken from the dataset used for Table 6.1 of Sentence Statistics 2009 published by the Ministry of Justice on 24 October 2010. The figures are based on offences of drug possession, supply, production or import/export of drugs. The Ministry of Justice is unable to identify offences which may be drug-related but are not specifically drug offences.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Film

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on film production, including the filming of speeches, since May 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has spent £15,000 on film production since May 2010. This was a joint collaboration between the Tribunals Service and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and focused on the Employment Tribunal.
	Any filming of speeches by Ministers would be done by the MOJ's Communications team and produced in-house at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

Ford Prison

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the prison population was on 31 December at HM Prison Ford in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what the average prison population was at HM Prison Ford in each of the last 10 years.

Crispin Blunt: The following tables shows the relevant information on the prison population for HMP Ford from 2001-10.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Table A: Prison population in HMP Ford, as on 31 December of each year 2001-08  and  2010 and on 18 December 2009 
			   Number 
			 2001 396 
			 2002 427 
			 2003 488 
			 2004 510 
			 2005 465 
			 2006 395 
			 2007 494 
			 2008 529 
			 2009 524 
			 2010 523 
			  Note: Due to technical problems reported by the MoJ Head of Statistics as announced on 27/09/2009, the publication of Population in custody monthly tables England and Wales' was suspended. Publication resumed in April 2010.  Sources: 2001 and 2002 taken from Table 3 of the 'Prison Population Brief England and Wales' published December 2001 and December 2002. 2003 taken from Table A of the 'F1032 End of month prison population tables, December 2003'. 2004-08 taken from Table 4 of the 'Population in custody monthly tables England and Wales' for December 2004 to 2008. 2009 data taken from NOMS 'Prison Population and Accommodation Briefing' as on 18/12/2009, the closest available date. 2010 is taken from the prison population as published in the 31/12/10 NOMS 'Prison Population and Accommodation Briefing'. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Average prison population in HMP Ford, from 2001-10 
			   Number 
			 2001 375 
			 2002 496 
			 2003 500 
			 2004 514 
			 2005 520 
			 2006 445 
			 2007 456 
			 2008 534 
			 2009 537 
			 2010 533 
			  Note: Due to technical problems relating to the supply of data for statistical purposes, the average annual populations for 2009 and 2010 use data compiled on a slightly different basis for July 2009 to February 2010.  Sources: 'Prison Population and Accommodation Briefing'; 'F1032 End of month prison population tables'; 'Population in custody monthly tables, England and Wales' and 'Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin'.

Ford Prison

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  on how many occasions an offender has been sent to HM Prison Ford who would fall outside of the normal selection criteria for placement there in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on how many occasions an offender has been sent to HM Prison Ford without a full risk assessment having been carried out in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what criteria are used to  (a) assess the level of risk posed by a prisoner and  (b) determine an offender's suitability for placement at HM Prison Ford.

Crispin Blunt: Prisoners are categorised and allocated to open prison (category D) following an established risk assessment process set out in the National Security Framework as amended by Prison Service Instructions 16/2008 and 3/2009, which remain in force. Prisoners may be assessed as suitable for open conditions if they present a low risk of harm to the public, are considered to be trustworthy not to abscond from low security conditions and, for those serving a lengthy prison sentence, in general, within two years of their earliest release date. Prisoners who do not meet these criteria are not moved to open conditions, and those who are later considered to have increased those risks whilst in open conditions would be moved back to closed conditions.
	Sending prisons are aware of Ford's acceptance criteria, and so prisoners who do not meet these criteria are not sent there. All prisoners transferred to Ford have been risk assessed as suitable for category D.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of  (a) 17 November and  (b) 14 December 2010 regarding a constituent, Mr Allison.

Kenneth Clarke: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Prisoners' Transfers;

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the effect on HM Prison  (a) Preston,  (b) Garth and  (c) Wymott of receiving prisoners displaced from other prisons in the region.

Crispin Blunt: In the management of the prison population the aim is to hold prisoners in establishments that provide the level of security required, are suitable for their gender, age and legal status, provide special facilities appropriate to prisoner needs and are near to their homes or the courts dealing with their cases
	Prisoners are moved from one prison to another as part of their sentence plan, following re-categorisation, where requested or where there is an operational need to do so.
	As a local prison which serves the courts in the area, HMP Preston's main function is to hold unconvicted and unsentenced prisoners and, once a prisoner had been sentenced, to allocate them on to an appropriate training prison to serve their sentence.
	As training prisons, HMPs Garth and Wymott regularly receive sentenced prisoners from other establishments in the North West, including local prisons such as HMP Preston, as well as from other establishments across the estate.

Prisons: Drugs

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many visitors to prisons in England and Wales were found in possession of  (a) class A and  (b) class B drugs in 2009-10.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of visitors to prisons in England and Wales found in possession of class A and class B drugs is not recorded centrally. To provide the information would require a detailed investigation into all local records and incur disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Drugs

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many finds of  (a) Class A and  (b) Class B drugs there were in jails in England and Wales in 2009-10.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) collates the number and type of drug seizures in prisons. The number of drug seizures in prisons in England and Wales in 2009-10 is given in the following table. Many seizures are similar in appearance and where not attributable are not categorically identified by scientific analysis.
	
		
			  Drugs  Number of seizures 
			 Heroin 647 
			 Cocaine 132 
			 LSD 4 
			 Amphetamines 81 
			 Barbiturates 6 
			 Cannabis 1,100 
			 Cannabis Plant 303 
			 Tranquilisers 18 
			 Crack 10 
			 Other 2,190 
			 Total 4,491 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.

Prisons: Employment

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what process he has put in place for private employers seeking to establish an employment project within a prison.

Crispin Blunt: The development of prisoners' employment skills help them to become productive members of society and improves their chances of gaining employment on release, which we know is a major contributor to turning them away from crime.
	There are already examples of successful partnerships between prisons and private sector organisations; whether employers are recruiting offenders directly from prison, running a prison workshop, providing the chance of employment on release or helping shape policy and practice.
	Through our Green Paper 'Breaking the Cycle: Effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders', published on 7 December 2010, we are consulting with the private sector about how we can increase further their participation in providing work and training in prisons.
	We will continue to identify senior business leaders to champion the role and contribution of employers in rehabilitating offenders through skills development and employment in both prisons and the community.

Prisons: Employment

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which private employers provide prisoners with work in prisons.

Crispin Blunt: There are a number of private sector organisations that currently support work in prisons and the Government are currently considering how best to work with the private and voluntary sectors to provide further work and training opportunities for prisoners, including an increased number of employer led workshops in prisons.
	A list of 'contract services' customers(1) (including many from the private sector) is available on the HM Prison Service website via the following link:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/abouttheservice/prisonindustries/ (2)
	A number of other organisations from the private sector, including Timpson's, Travis Perkins, National Grid, Cisco Systems, Speedy Hire plc and DHL/Booker, work in partnership with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) to provide prison training workshops offering training to prisoners and the chance of employment on release.
	There are many examples of successful partnerships across NOMS, whether employers are recruiting offenders directly from prison, running a prison workshop, providing work placements or helping shape policy and practice.
	(1) Where organisations use prison facilities and prisoner labour to carry out services or manufacture/assemble goods under contract.
	(2) Refer to 'Related Documents' at the end of the website page.

Prisons: Employment

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisons have vacant prison workshop spaces.

Crispin Blunt: Information in relation to the number of public sector prisons in England and Wales that currently have unused prison workshops is not held centrally and could be obtained only by contacting individual prison establishments at disproportionate cost.

Prosecutions: Cycling

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cyclists were prosecuted for road traffic offences in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for pedal cycle offences in England and Wales, from 2005-09 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication in spring 2011.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for pedal cycle offences( 1) , England and Wales, 2005-09( 2, 3, 4) 
			   Number 
			 2005 626 
			 2006 643 
			 2007 566 
			 2008 534 
			 2009 596 
			 (1) Includes offences under: Highways Act 1835 as amended by Local Government Act 1888, Statute Law Revision (No.2) Act 1888, Highways Act 1959, Criminal Justice Act 1967 and Criminal Justice Act 1982; Metropolitan Police Act 1839 and byelaws; Road Traffic Act 1988; Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984; Pedal Cycles (Constructions and Use) Regulations 1983; Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982; Highways Act 1980; Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice.

Rape

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the longest sentence received by a woman prosecuted for  (a) perverting the course of justice,  (b) perjury and  (c) wasting police time was following the withdrawal of a complaint of rape or domestic violence in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many prosecutions for offences of rape were discontinued following a withdrawal by the victim between May 2010 and the latest date for which figures are available; and how many such prosecutions were discontinued in the same period in 2009;
	(3)  how many women who have retracted a complaint of rape or domestic violence were prosecuted for  (a) wasting police time,  (b) perjury and  (c) perverting the course of justice between May 2010 and the latest date for which figures are available; and how many such prosecutions there were in the same period in 2009;
	(4)  how many prosecutions for offences of domestic violence were discontinued following a retraction by the victim between May 2010 and the latest date for which figures are available; and how many such prosecutions were discontinued in the same period in 2009.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice's Court Proceedings Database (CPD) holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. The CPD does not hold specific information on offences beyond descriptions provided in the statutes under which prosecutions are brought. It is not possible to identify from data held on proceedings brought against females for perverting the course of justice, perjury and wasting police time, those resulting from the withdrawal of a complaint of rape or domestic violence. Neither is it possible to separately identify domestic violence offences from other offences of assault and violence against the person nor the reasons why proceedings have been discontinued.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication in spring 2011.

Reoffenders: North Yorkshire

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reoffending rate was for prisons in North Yorkshire in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The latest available re-offending rates for prisons in North Yorkshire are provided in Table 1 as published by the Ministry of Justice in the Compendium of Reoffending Statistics and Analysis in November 2010.
	Table 1 shows reoffending rates for North Yorkshire prisons (Wealstun and Leeds) in 2007 presented by prison category and prison sentence length (under 12 months and 12 months and over sentences).
	The reoffending rates provided have been calculated based on the prison from which an offender was discharged and ignores the time spent at other institutions during that sentence.
	The table also shows the average number of previous offences, average number of custodial sentences and the average age of the offenders discharged from North Yorkshire prisons in 2007. This illustrates that different prisons can have populations with a substantially different likelihood of reoffending.
	
		
			  Table 1: Reoffending rates for North Yorkshire prisons  2007 
			  Prison  Number of offenders discharged  Reoffending rate (%)  Average number of previous offences per offender  Average number of previous custodial sentences per offender  Average age per offender 
			  Under 12 months sentence  
			 Wealstun (Category C) 371 43.4 31.4 3.2 31.6 
			 Leeds (Male local) 810 74.0 56.1 7.5 32.2 
			   
			  Over 12 month sentence  
			 Wealstun (Category C) 388 16.2 25.4 2.9 34.9 
			 Leeds (Male local) 173 50.9 46.1 5.8 33.1 
			   
			   
			   
		
	
	Young offender institution reoffending rates are not included for Northallerton and Wetherby, as the work published to date only considered adult prisons.
	More information on the individual prison reoffending rates is available from the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/compendium-reoffending.htm

Unpaid Fines: Wales

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the amount of unpaid fines and fees was in each justice region of Wales in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08,  (c) 2008-09 and  (d) 2009-10.

Jonathan Djanogly: The amount of financial penalties outstanding in each of the Wales justice regions is:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Dyfed Powys  Gwent  North Wales  South Wales 
			 2006-07 3,498,109 5,631,898 6,203,903 11,894,720 
			 2007-08 3,324,554 5,857,625 6,367,895 10,004,091 
			 2008-09 3,955,288 5,903,094 7,303,005 9,879,205 
			 2009-10 4,325,342 5,617,483 8,598,513 10,466,440 
		
	
	The amount outstanding can relate to fines imposed in that year or any previous year as fines are not always paid in the period which they are imposed and includes fines which are being paid in accordance with payment plans and the outstanding balance is therefore not all in arrears.

Wills

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to regulate will writing for the purposes of ensuring that all testamentary documents prepared for reward are prepared by qualified professionals.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA) contains provisions which allow the Legal Services Board to recommend to me that a legal service such as will writing becomes a reserved legal activity.
	Since the Legal Services Board (LSB) is currently investigating whether or not it would be in the interests of the legal consumer to regulate will writing, it will be more appropriate for me to await the outcome of that investigation before making an assessment of next steps.

CABINET OFFICE

Company Liquidations

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of new businesses ceased trading in their first year in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of new businesses ceased trading in their first year in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births, deaths and survivals are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	ONS does not produce figures on the number of enterprises that ceased trading within their first year. However, the table below contains the latest statistics on business survival, which show the number of enterprise births in 2008, and the number that survived into 2009.
	
		
			  Enterprise births in 2008 and survival into 2009 
			   Number/percentage 
			 2008 births 267,445 
			 1 year survival 246,065 
			 1 year percentage 92.0

Company Liquidations

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of new businesses ceased trading in their first five years in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of new businesses ceased trading in their first five years in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births, deaths and survivals are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	ONS does not produce figures on the number of enterprises that ceased trading within their first five years. However, the table below contains the latest statistics on business survival, which show the number of enterprise births in 2004, and their survival over five years.
	
		
			  Enterprise births in 2004 and their survival over five years 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 2004 births 280,080 - 
			
			 1 year survival 263,895 94.2 
			 2 year survival 220,420 78.7 
			 3 year survival 182,810 65.3 
			 4 year survival 153,195 54.7 
			 5 year survival 131,170 46.8

Employment

Amber Rudd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working age population of  (a) Hastings and Rye constituency,  (b) Hastings borough council area,  (c) East Sussex,  (d) the South East and  (e) the UK are (i) employed in the public sector, (ii) employed in the private sector and (iii) unemployed.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working age population of (a) Hasting and Rye constituency, (b) Hasting Borough Council area, (c) East Sussex, (d) the South East and (e) the UK are (i) employed in the public sector, (ii) employed in the private sector and (iii) unemployed. (035012)
	Public and private sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Table 1 shows the levels and proportions of the resident population aged 16 to 64 years employed in the private and public sector in (a) Hasting and Rye constituency, (b) Hasting Borough Council area, (c) East Sussex, (d) the South East and (e) the UK. Data has been provided for the most recent APS period, July 2009 to June 2010.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	Table 2, shows the number and proportions of persons aged 16 to 64 years resident in (a) Hasting and Rye constituency, (b) Hasting Borough Council area, (c) East Sussex, (d) the South East and (e) the UK claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for December 2010, the most recent period for which figures are available.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1 Levels and proportions of the resident population aged 16-64 years of UK, South East, East Sussex County Council, Hastings borough council, Hastings and Rye parliamentary constituency employed in (i) public and (ii) private sector-July 2009 to June 2010 
			   Level (thousand)  Proportion (percentage) 
			   Public  Private  Public  Private 
			 UK *7,066 *20,751 18 52 
			 South East *895 *3,071 17 57 
			 East Sussex **48 **170 16 57 
			 Hastings ***12 ***28 23 52 
			 Hastings and Rye ***13 ***32 21 53 
			  Note: Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220  Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation  Source: Annual Population Survey and Annual Labour Force Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of persons aged 16-64 years claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in UK, South East, East Sussex county council, Hastings borough council, Hastings and Rye parliamentary constituency-December 2010 
			   Level  Proportion (percentage) 
			 UK 1,420,125 3.5 
			 South East 127,445 2.4 
			 East Sussex 8,800 2.9 
			 Hastings 3,095 5.6 
			 Hastings and Rye 3,385 5.2 
			  Note: Figures rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Voluntary Organisations

Peter Aldous: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he plans to take to help protect voluntary sector organisations from closure.

Nick Hurd: The Government are committed to making it easier to run a voluntary or community sector organisation, to get more resources into the sector and to make it easier to do business with the state.
	To that end, the Government have set out a number of activities to support the sector. For example, the recently announced £100 million Transition Fund to support the sector through these challenging times and take advantage of the future opportunities presented by the big society. The renewed compact will strengthen the capacity of the sector and improve the partnership between the Government and civil society organisations, for the benefit of citizens and communities. A big society bank is currently being developed to help social enterprises, charities and voluntary organisations to access more resources. The recently published Commissioning Green Paper highlights the Government's commitment to reforming the commissioning process to enable charities, social enterprises and employee-owned co-operatives a bigger role in delivering more innovative, diverse and responsive public services.
	At the same time, the Government are listening to the sector. It recently ran a consultation "Supporting a Stronger Civil Society" on how to improve support for front-line voluntary and community groups, charities and social enterprises.

Working Hours

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average number of hours worked per week by  (a) men and  (b) women in full-time employment was in each year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average number of hours worked per week by (a) men and (b) women in full-time employment were in each year. 35748.
	The table provides the information requested for the September to November quarter each year from 1992 onwards. Comparable estimates are not available prior to 1992. The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are seasonally adjusted. They are published in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin which is available on the National Statistics website.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the sampling variability of LFS aggregate estimates are provided in the Statistical Bulletin.
	
		
			  Actual weekly hours of people aged 16 and over in full-time employment, three months ending November, 1992 to 2010, United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted 
			  Average actual weekly hours for full-time workers( 1) 
			   Men  Women 
			 1992 40.1 34.3 
			 1993 40.0 34.0 
			 1994 40.6 34.4 
			 1995 40.6 34.3 
			 1996 40.8 34.7 
			 1997 40.7 34.8 
			 1998 40.5 34.5 
			 1999 40.1 34.3 
			 2000 39.8 34.2 
			 2001 39.5 34.3 
			 2002 39.3 34.0 
			 2003 39.0 33.8 
			 2004 39.2 34.1 
			 2005 39.1 34.1 
			 2006 38.8 34.0 
			 2007 39.0 33.7 
			 2008 38.8 33.7 
			 2009 38.7 33.7 
			 2010 38.9 33.8 
			 (1) Main job only. The identification of full-time workers is based on respondents' self-classification.  Source: Labour Force Survey.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Deportation of Convicted Foreign Nationals

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of criminal offences.

Damian Green: Tough enforcement is the cornerstone of this Government's immigration police. We strongly believe that foreign law breakers should be removed from the UK at the earliest possible opportunity. We will seek to deport any foreign national criminal who meets our deportation criteria.

Gang-related Youth Violence: London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the level of gang-related youth violence in London.

James Brokenshire: We engage in regular discussion with the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan police and I know that both are strongly committed to tackling this problem. The Government also takes gang violence very seriously. New civil injunctions to tackle gangs will go live nationally on 31 January. I know that partners in London are already looking at the potential for using these new powers.

UK Border Agency

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff work for the UK Border Agency.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency's workforce was 23,235 full-time equivalents, at the end of December 2010, of which 21,588 are classed as 'staff'. The remainder are; 1,398 locally engaged, 161 agency workers and 88 Contractors and secondments.

Nottingham PCSOs

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the likely number of police community support officers in Nottinghamshire police at the end of the comprehensive spending review period.

Nick Herbert: This Government believes that police community support officers are a crucial part of the policing family providing a visible, uniformed presence on our streets. That is why we have maintained the Neighbourhood Policing fund for a transitional period until the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners. It is, however, ultimately for police forces and authorities, and in future for PCCs, to determine how they deploy their personnel.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently under restrictions from anti social behaviour orders in  (a) the North West and  (b) England and Wales.

James Brokenshire: The latest available data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued cover the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008. The north-west region comprises the following Criminal Justice System (CJS) areas: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.
	The number of ASBOs issued at all courts in the north-west region, and in England and Wales, are 3,560 and 16,999 respectively. These figures include ASBOs made on application which became available from 1 April 1999 and ASBOs made following conviction for a relevant criminal offence, which became available for offences committed on or after 2 December 2002.
	ASBOs can be of a fixed duration (for a minimum of two years) or made until further order. Furthermore, courts have the power to vary ASBOs, including their durations and the details of any such variations are not centrally collected by the Ministry of Justice. It is therefore not possible to determine from centrally collected data how many ASBOs are in force at a particular point in time except by reference to individual court files which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	ASBO data for 2009 are due to be published on 25 January 2011.

British Citizenship

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals of each original nationality have been deprived of British citizenship in each year since the Immigration and Asylum Act 2006 came into force.

Damian Green: Section 56 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 which relates to deprivation of British citizenship, came into force on 16 June 2006.
	Since that date, nine individuals have been deprived of their British citizenship. Their original nationalities were one Australian, one Iraqi, one Pakistani, one Albanian, two Sudanese, one Russian, one Egyptian and one Lebanese. This information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such, it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

Coroners: Legal Costs

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will estimate the cost to the public purse of  (a) investigations by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and  (b) inquests and other associated action relating to deaths during or following police contact including involving police vehicles in each financial year since 2007-08;
	(2)  if she will estimate the cost of legal representation for the state at completed inquests into cases relating to deaths during or following police contact including involving police vehicles in each financial year since 2007-08.

Nick Herbert: The relevant information is not collated centrally, nor held by the Home Office.

Crime

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the level of reported crime  (a) overall and  (b) for each category of crime in each of the (i) 100 most deprived wards and (ii) 100 least deprived wards in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 21 January 2011
	Information at ward level is not collected centrally. The lowest level for which the Home Office routinely collects crime data is for Community Safety Partnership areas.

Demonstrations: English Defence League

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received requesting consideration of banning the proposed English Defence League march in Luton on 5 February 2011; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Secretary of State for the Home Department has received representations from councillors on Luton borough council and members of the public requesting consideration of a ban on the proposed march by the English Defence League (EDL) in Luton on 5 February. The Home Secretary has however received no formal application to ban the march.
	Any application to ban a march would be considered against the legal tests in the Public Order Act 1986.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of subcontracted staff servicing her Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department does not hold information on the number and remuneration of staff employed by companies which are subcontracted to the Department's contractors. The exception is where employment agencies are contracted to provide temporary staff to the Department. The Department is able to confirm that temporary staff, who are on subcontracted terms to the agencies, are paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage.

Detainees: Sexuality

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to the participation of  (a) women and  (b) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the detained fast-track procedure.

Damian Green: Entry to the detained fast-track procedure is determined by reference to published policy available on the UK Border Agency website. The policy lays out categories of claimant who, for reasons of particular vulnerability such as late pregnancy, children or serious disability, are excluded from entry to the process. For all other claimants, the key factor determining entry to the process is whether a quick, fair and sustainable decision can be taken on the case.
	We do not intend to specifically add to an exclusion list all applicants on the basis of claimed or accepted gender, gender identity or sexuality. However, if on a case by case basis, any claimants from these groups are identified as having a claim of particular complexity, the general consideration referred to previously regarding amenability to a quick, fair and sustainable decision will apply.

Drugs: Crime

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding from her Department's drugs budget is allocated to  (a) the criminal justice system,  (b) drug treatment services and  (c) drugs education.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 21 January 2011
	The Home Office budget is not divided into the categories in the question. The following budgets have been allocated for the financial period 2010-11:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Drug Interventions Programme(1) 142 
			 Drug Strategy Delivery(2) 1.28 
			 Positive Futures programme(3) 6 
			 YOT named drug worker(4) 8.5 
			 (1) Funding for delivery of the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP), includes grants to local areas, grants and costs for drug testing and for the programme's information systems.  (2) Grant funding for a range of projects which supported delivery of the Drug Strategy in terms of developing innovation and best practice.  (3) Positive Futures programme provides grants to local prevention projects that target vulnerable and at risk 10 to 19-year-olds aiming to stop them from becoming drawn into crime and substance misuse and supporting them in moving forward with their lives.  (4) Funding to provide a named drugs worker in every Youth Offending Team in England and Wales.

Drugs: Crime

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of acquisitive crime attributable to  (a) heroin addicts,  (b) crack cocaine addicts,  (c) cocaine addicts and  (d) cannabis users in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 21 January 2011
	The Home Office has not produced estimates of the proportion of acquisitive crime attributable to individual drug types.
	The most recent Home Office estimate of the proportion of acquisitive crime which was related to the use of Class A drugs was published in 2005. This estimated that between one-third and a half of all acquisitive crime was related to use of Class A drugs.
	 Reference
	Macdonald, Z. et al (2005) 'Measuring the harm from illegal drugs using the Drug Harm Index' Home Office Online Report 24/05:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr2405.pdf

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her review of student visas will examine the ability of students to bring their dependents with them to the UK.

Damian Green: On 7 December the Government launched a public consultation on reform of the student immigration system; copies are available in the House Library. Section 7 of the consultation considers limiting the entitlements of students to bring their family members with them to the UK.

Freedom Bill

Kris Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to publish the Freedom Bill.

James Brokenshire: As set out in the Home Office business plan (published on 8 November 2010), we will introduce a Freedom Bill by February 2011.

Human Trafficking

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her strategy is for reducing the incidence of human trafficking.

Damian Green: Combating human trafficking is a key priority for the Government. Our approach involves tackling organised crime groups who profit from this human misery and supporting protecting victims.
	A new human trafficking strategy is currently in development, due for publication in the spring.

Human Trafficking

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions by the competent authority regarding the National Referral Mechanism have been reversed since 1 April 2009; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: holding answer 21 January 2011
	Since the National Referral Mechanism commenced on 1 April 2009 there are 19 recorded cases where the decision has been formally reversed following reconsideration by the Competent Authority. The Competent Authority's decision is often the result of multi-agency consultation and will be reconsidered if significant additional information becomes available after the initial decision is made.

Human Trafficking

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what scope the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Trafficking has to examine policies and practices on human trafficking across Government.

Damian Green: holding answer 21 January 2011
	The Government recognise the importance of monitoring the progress of anti-trafficking efforts in the UK and our international obligations.
	The Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group has full scope to examine and monitor human trafficking policy and practices in the UK.

Human Trafficking

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Trafficking has issued since its inception.

Damian Green: holding answer 21 January 2011
	The Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group does not issue reports.

Illegal Immigrants

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department plans to take to control illegal immigration.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is committed to combating illegal immigration in line with the agency's strategic threat assessment and crime control strategy. By working with UK and international law enforcement organisations, the agency focuses its investigative effort to disrupt and dismantle organised crime networks that cause the greatest harm.
	Over 55% of all passenger movements into and out of the UK are currently covered by the e-Borders system. This is being used to target would be illegal immigrants, as well as terrorist suspects and known criminals, before they cross the border. Additionally, a network of staff in key countries abroad issue biometric visas, collect intelligence and prevent people with forged documents from boarding planes, to prevent high risk individuals from entering the UK.
	Teams working around the country investigate immigration offences and take action against illegal workers and those that employ them. The Government also allow only restricted access to a limited range of state funded benefits to those here illegally. The UK Border Agency deports foreign national prisoners and removes illegal immigrants who have no lawful basis to remain here, and who refuse to leave the country voluntarily.
	This Government have committed to creating a new National Crime Agency. This will include a new Border Police Command to strengthen the operational response to organised crime and better secure our borders-a key national security requirement. This command will enable the development and execution of a single coherent border security strategy, drawing on a single national threat assessment. This will deliver our commitment, made in the coalition programme for government, to establish a border police force to "enhance national security, improve immigration controls and crack down on the trafficking of people, weapons and drugs".

Institute for Public Policy Research

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department provided to the Institute for Public Policy Research in 2008-09; and what the purposes were of such funding.

Damian Green: In 2008-09, the Home Office provided funding of £90,000 towards the "Economics of Migration" report by the Institute for Public Policy Research.

Kerb Crawling: Newham

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to prevent kerb crawling in the London borough of Newham.

James Brokenshire: The Government understand the nuisance and distress that is caused by kerb crawling and supports action to prevent it.
	The prevention of kerb crawling in Newham is a matter for the Metropolitan police and other appropriate local agencies. The law has recently been changed to allow the police to arrest kerb crawlers without having to prove that they had engaged in this conduct persistently. We want to see the police use this measure where appropriate to apprehend those who engage in this activity.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter sent to the Minister for Immigration by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 6 December 2010 with regard to Mrs Attia Akhtar.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 13 January 2011.

National DNA Database

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of  (a) rape and  (b) murder through evidence drawn from the National DNA Database.

James Brokenshire: Data on the number of convictions obtained in which DNA match evidence from the National DNA Database (NDNAD) was a contributory factor are not collected centrally.

Police: Demonstrations

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested by the Metropolitan police service for suspected offences in the course of demonstrations against tuition fees; and how many such people have been charged.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 10 January 2011
	As of 12 January, the total number of arrests resulting from each of the student protests was as follows:
	
		
			  Arrests 
			   Number 
			 10 November 76 
			 24 November 56 
			 30 November (1)153 
			  (2)21 
			 9 December 53 
			 (1) To prevent breach of the peace. (2) For substantive offences. 
		
	
	With regard to charges, two persons have so far been charged. However, the police will not charge individuals until they are satisfied that all the evidence of any offences committed on the day have been identified. This allows a proper investigation of all possible offences so that in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, the police can consider the most appropriate charge, taking into account the seriousness of the offence or offences.

Police: Pensions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to publish the findings of the review of police pensions;
	(2)  what timetable she has set for the implementation of changes to the police service pension scheme.

Nick Herbert: The police pension schemes are included in the scope of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission, which is due to produce its final report in March. The Government will respond thereafter. No timetable has been set for the implementation of any potential changes to the police pension schemes.
	In response to the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission's interim report, the Government announced at the spending review that we will implement progressive changes to the level of employee contributions to public service pensions. These changes will be phased in from April 2012.
	Any changes will be subject to the normal consultation processes in line with statutory requirements.

Police: Shropshire

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans her Department has for the future budget allocation for the recruitment and retention of police community support officers in the West Mercia police;
	(2)  how many community police officers were assigned to duties in Redditch constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: Information at constituency level is not held centrally. The following table shows police community support officer strength for the West Mercia police force by basic command unit, as at 31 March 2010.
	
		
			  West Mercia police community support officer strength by basic command unit, 31 March 2010( 1, 2) 
			  BCU  Police community support officers (full-time equivalents) 
			 Hereford 37 
			 North Worcestershire 57 
			 Shropshire 80 
			 South Worcestershire 59 
			 Telford and the Wrekin 47 
			 Central Services 0 
			  279 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures include those officers on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave. (2) Source-Home Office using data received from police forces via the Annual Data Requirement. 
		
	
	The Government announced on 13 December 2010 as part of the police funding settlement that, in recognition of the essential role police community support officers (PCSOs) play, the Neighbourhood Policing Fund will be maintained over the next two years, before being devolved to police and crime commissioners.
	About 90% of the grant is ring-fenced for PCSOs, contributing up to 75% of their salary costs.
	Decisions on the recruitment and retention of PCSOs are a matter for the chief constable of West Mercia police and the police authority.

Visas: Fingerprints

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has assessed the merits of introducing compulsory fingerprinting for visitors to the UK with visas.

Damian Green: The United Kingdom Border Agency introduced the collection of fingerprints for all visa applicants from 2007, and from 30 November 2009 have introduced the capability to verify the fingerprints of passengers with biometric visas on arrival at the UK border against the record which the passenger gave as part of the application process overseas. This process also applies to passengers with biometric entry clearances and biometric residence permits.

Voluntary Organisations: Finance

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has to make funding available for voluntary sector organisations working with children and young people.

James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to supporting the role of the voluntary and community sector in tackling youth crime and antisocial behaviour at a local level and responding to the needs of local communities, particularly in delivering diversionary programmes, interventions for offenders, and provision of accommodation for remand and resettlement. The Government will set out their plans for future funding in due course.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Combined Heat and Energy: Hospitals

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to  (a) promote the use of combined heat and power schemes in NHS hospitals and  (b) improve energy efficiency in the health care sector.

Gregory Barker: The Department supports the health care sector in its efforts to improve its energy efficiency. Current activities include a workshop facilitated under the CHP Focus initiative, specifically targeted at NHS managers in order to promote take-up of combined heat and power (CHP) in the NHS estate. CHP Focus also comprises a free website and helpline service available to those wishing to deliver CHP, such as NHS trusts.
	The Department also supports the work of the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office in promoting carbon reduction and energy efficiency solutions for the NHS and works closely with the NHS Sustainable Development Unit to promote awareness and carbon management across health care providers.

Combined Heat and Power

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the conversion efficiency of combined heat and power installations; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The conversion efficiency of combined heat and power installations is undertaken within the UK's CHP quality assurance programme (CHPQA), the means by which the Government assess the environmental performance of CHP plants to ensure they deliver primary energy savings of at least 10%.
	The conversion factors for the most recent gas-fired CHP plants certified under CHPQA demonstrate electrical efficiencies in the order of 33-39% and heat efficiencies in the order of 40-45%, depending on the size and type of the plant.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the number of subcontracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold information on the number of subcontracted staff or their pay rates. The Department includes clauses within contracts to ensure suppliers provide the services in accordance with good industry practice and legal requirements.

Departmental Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled.

Gregory Barker: In October 2010 the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change appointed two executive members to the board of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (GEMA). One of these appointments was a reappointment for a second five-year term. Executive members of GEMA do not receive additional remuneration above their Ofgem salaries.
	The Secretary of State reappointed the Chair and 12 members of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) for a second term of office from 1 November 2010. The CoRWM Chair, with a time commitment of approximately 1.5 days per week, receives remuneration of £450 per day. The Deputy Chair and remaining 11 members, with an average time commitment of one day per week, receive £380 per day and £300 per day respectively. Committee members are also entitled to reimbursement of all reasonable travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred during the course of their work.
	The Secretary of State appointed to the Civil Nuclear Police Authority in January 2011 an industry representative from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The appointment was on an ex officio basis and is unpaid.

Energy Supply

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the installed energy generation capacity is of each of the six largest  (a) coal,  (b) gas,  (c) nuclear and  (d) renewable energy producers as a percentage of the total.

Charles Hendry: The following table shows the proportions of total installed capacity of the six largest (in terms of installed capacity) coal, gas, nuclear and renewables producers, as at May 2010.
	
		
			Percentage 
			   Company  Share of Capacity 
			 Coal EON 17 
			  RWE npower 16 
			  SSE 15 
			  EDF 14 
			  Drax 13 
			  Scottish Power 12 
			
			 Gas Centrica 15 
			  EON 11 
			  SSE 10 
			  RWE npower 9 
			  GDF Suez 7 
			  Scottish Power 7 
			
			 Nuclear EDF 86 
			  Magnox 14 
			
			 Renewables SSE 22 
			  Scottish Power 11 
			  RWE npower 8 
			  EON 5 
			  Fred Olsen 4 
			  Centrica 4 
		
	
	Shares of capacity are taken from data in table 5.11 of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics, 2010, available at:
	http://decc.gov.uk/en/content//cms/statistics/source/electricity/electricity.aspx

Energy: EU Action

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his objectives are for the European Council meeting on energy security in February 2011.

Charles Hendry: The Prime Minister will be representing the UK at the European Council and he will be taking forward the UK objectives, which are: setting a long-term strategic vision for the move to a secure, sustainable and competitive low carbon economy by 2050; providing renewed political momentum to such a move; and agreeing on practical action to facilitate the necessary infrastructure investment, to improve how EU energy markets work and increase their integration, to support low carbon technologies and to encourage a step change in energy efficiency. The Council should also endorse the importance of the EU's external energy policy and the role of both the Commission and member states in this.

Energy: Meters

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's policy is on the provision of adequate and prior notice of tariff changes by energy supply companies to people who pay for electricity through pre-payment meters.

Charles Hendry: The Government believe that domestic energy consumers should receive advance notification before a price increase becomes effective. We therefore support Ofgem's proposed licence modifications to ensure this and have made it clear that we will use powers in the Energy Act 2010 if Ofgem is unable to introduce these changes in a timely manner.

Energy: Production

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the potential contribution of sub-critical reactors to energy production.

Charles Hendry: We are aware that there are a number of reactor design proposals around the world, however, it is ultimately for industry to decide what type of reactor systems it will invest in.
	As yet, industry has not indicated that they would be looking to develop and deploy sub-critical nuclear reactor designs in the UK in the near term future.
	The Government's chief scientific adviser, Sir John Beddington, recently co-ordinated an assessment of the prospects for research into advanced accelerator driven thorium reactors, one type of sub-critical technology, with input from a number of sources. The conclusion was that, while the science is reasonably sound, the technology would carry major technology and commercial risks. The assessment further concluded that, for the UK, a watching brief on the area would be appropriate, but that it should not be a priority area for research in the context of constrained budgets.
	The UK's National Nuclear Laboratory has also carried out an independent assessment of the thorium fuel cycle which included analysis on the use of accelerator driven systems (ADS). The report can also be found at:
	www.nnl.co.uk/positionpapers
	and notes in relation to ADS that the practical difficulties are "considered a major barrier to commercial implementation".
	The Secretary of State has instructed officials to commission work to look further into the possible benefits of next generation reactor designs including the use of thorium fuel. We are currently considering the details of this work and we hope to include further assessment of ADS technology in the evaluation.

Energy: Profits

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent advice he has received from Ofgem on levels of profits achieved by companies in the domestic energy supply sector.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is required by the Government to produce quarterly price reports that examine the relationship between wholesale energy costs and standard tariff energy bills for a typical customer. The latest report published in November 2010 showed large increases in supplier margins, due to recent increases in retail prices. We are disappointed on behalf of consumers by this development and welcome the announcement of Ofgem's review of the retail market. Ofgem will report on this review in March of this year. This announcement is available online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/PressRel/Documents1/Retail%20Market%2026%20November.pdf

Fuel Oil: Competition

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will request  (a) the Office of Fair Trading and  (b) the Competition Commission to launch an investigation into allegations of anti-competitive practices within the heating oil market;
	(2)  if he will investigate allegations of anti-competitive practices in the heating oil market;
	(3)  whether Ofgem is required to undertake any social obligation monitoring in respect of companies operating in the heating oil market;
	(4)  what regulatory regime applies to companies operating in the heating oil market.

Charles Hendry: The UK has an open and competitive market for heating oil. In contrast to gas and electricity markets, the heating oil market is not regulated by Ofgem. This is because Ofgem was set up to regulate the natural monopolies for gas and electricity distribution. There is no natural monopoly for heating oil distribution to consumers with a competitive supply market. Correspondingly Ofgem has no responsibilities in respect of companies operating in the heating oil market. Many suppliers do offer payment plans to spread costs over the year.
	The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) monitors the heating oil market for any indications that consumer or competition legislation has been breached and considers all complaints and representations carefully.
	In response to the OFT's consultation on its annual plan to determine its work programme for the coming year, and mindful of the increases in heating oil prices during the recent severe weather, I have written to the OFT to ask it to bring forward its competition and consumer study into off grid energy.

Fuel Oil: Costs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received on cost of domestic household heating oil; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: I have received various representations on the cost of domestic household heating oil during the recent severe weather.
	The Government are very sympathetic to the predicament of those faced with rising costs. If there is evidence of uncompetitive practices, this should be referred to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) which has responsibility for investigations into anti-competitive practise and market abuse. The OFT continues to consider all complaints and representations carefully and is monitoring for any indications that consumer or competition legislation has been breached.
	In response to the OFT's consultation on its annual plan to determine its work programme for the coming year, and mindful of the increases in heating oil prices during the recent severe weather, I have written to the OFT to ask it to bring forward its competition and consumer study into off grid energy.

Fuel Oil: Costs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to request oil companies to deliver amounts of domestic heating oil in smaller quantities to enable the most vulnerable to pay.

Charles Hendry: Bulk supply by tanker is the most economic form of delivery for heating oil. The Federation of Petroleum Suppliers has advised that the majority of meters fitted to road tankers used to deliver heating oil have a minimum delivery volume of 500 litres. The accuracy of the tank meter means there are minimum volumes for delivery and while pre-packaged smaller quantities of heating oil are available from some suppliers, the price per litre from packaged product is often significantly higher, due to the additional packaging storage and distribution costs incurred by the supplier.
	Many suppliers also have payment plans to spread costs over the year.
	In response to the Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) consultation on its annual plan to determine its work programme for the coming year, and mindful of the increases in heating oil prices during the recent severe weather, I have written to the OFT to ask it to bring forward its competition and consumer study into off grid energy.

Fuel Oil: Regulation

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals for regulation of the heating oil market by Ofgem.

Charles Hendry: The regulation of gas and electricity markets promotes competition and regulates the monopoly companies which run the electricity and gas networks. There is no natural monopoly for supply and distribution in the heating oil market.
	The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) continues to consider all complaints and representations carefully, and monitor for indications that consumer or competition legislation has been breached.
	In response to the OFT's consultation on its annual plan to determine its work programme for the coming year, and mindful of the increases in heating oil prices during the recent severe weather, I have written to the OFT to ask it to bring forward its competition and consumer study into off grid energy.

Heating: Rural Areas

Rory Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to reduce the cost of heating for those in rural communities.

Charles Hendry: I have received various representations on the cost of domestic household heating oil during the recent severe weather.
	The Government are very sympathetic to the predicament of those faced with rising costs. If there is evidence of uncompetitive practices, this should be referred to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) which has responsibility for investigations into anti-competitive practise and market abuse. The OFT continues to consider all complaints and representations carefully and is monitoring for any indications that consumer or competition legislation has been breached.
	In response to the OFT's consultation on its annual plan to determine its work programme for the coming year, and mindful of the increases in heating oil prices during the recent severe weather, I have written to the OFT to ask it to bring forward its competition and consumer study into off grid energy.

Methane: Natural Gas

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what  (a) licensing,  (b) planning and  (c) environmental consents need to be secured by developers before any exploratory drilling for (i) coalbed methane and (ii) shale gas proceeds; and whether the Climate Change Committee will consider the effects of the extraction of (A) shale gas and (B) coalbed methane.

Charles Hendry: It is the responsibility of each particular company to identify and comply with all legal and regulatory provisions that impinge upon him when carrying out operations of any kind. It is not possible to list every such provision that might arise, but in a typical case of a company seeking to explore for or produce hydrocarbons onshore in the UK, all the following bodies and provisions will have to be considered:
	the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which administers a licensing system under the Petroleum Act 1998, and which authorises each particular drilling and
	development activity;
	the planning authority (generally the local authority), from which the company would require planning permission;
	the relevant environmental agency (in England and Wales, the Environment Agency, and in Scotland, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) who regulate discharges to the environment as well being a statutory consultee in the planning process;
	the Health and Safety Executive which regulates the process safety aspects of this work, which contributes to mitigating the risk of environmental risks; and
	the Coal Authority (in the case of coalbed methane) which regulates access to the nation's coal.
	It is not for me to say what issues the Committee on Climate Change will consider.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the full system cost to the public purse of meeting the UK's contribution to the EU renewable energy target for 2020 through  (a) nuclear,  (b) carbon capture and storage coal,  (c) onshore wind,  (d) offshore wind,  (e) tidal and  (f) solar technologies.

Charles Hendry: holding answer 20 January 2011
	 It is estimated that meeting the UK 2020 15% renewable energy target may require around 30% of electricity to come from renewable sources, but there is no target for the electricity sector, nor for individual technologies. Onshore wind, offshore, tidal and solar technologies are expected to contribute to meeting the target, incurring expenditure through the renewables obligation (RO) and feed-in tariffs (FITs) that have been defined by the Office for National Statistics as 'tax and spend'. Nuclear and carbon capture and storage coal are not classified as renewables and will not be able to contribute to the 2020 target.
	The following table shows the estimated cumulative expenditure from 2011 to 2020 through the RO and FITs on onshore wind, offshore wind, tidal and solar technologies.
	
		
			  Technology  Expenditure through RO and FITs  (2010 prices discounted to 2011) (£ billion) 
			 Onshore wind 8.3 
			 Offshore wind 14 
			 Tidal 1.1 
			 Solar PV 2.5 
			  Source: DECC calculations based on 2009 modelling by Redpoint and the lead scenario in the Final FITs Impact Assessment published in February 2010 
		
	
	This is based on 2009 and 2010 analysis of one potential scenario amongst many. The exact shares of effort between sectors and technologies will depend on how investors respond to the renewable financial incentives put in place, and the relative success in overcoming non-financial barriers to renewables deployment such as planning, supply chain and grid issues.
	We are currently reviewing the level of support for all renewable electricity technologies under the RO, and will consult on any changes to RO bands this summer. As part of that process, we have asked our consultants Arup and Ernst & Young to provide updated assumptions on potential deployment and costs for each renewable electricity technology. The Government are also currently consulting on reforms to the electricity market, including options for a phased transition from the RO to a feed-in tariff for large-scale generation. Both of these developments are expected to change the Government's assessments of the total public cost of meeting the UK's share of the 2020 renewables target. The Government are committed to controlling the cost of increasing the deployment of renewable technologies and have brought forward the review of the renewable obligation mechanism.
	Note that these figures represent the total level of public support(1). The Renewable Energy Strategy 2009 published lower public support cost figures based on the additional level of public support resulting from the increase in renewables ambition, on a different price basis.
	(1) The costs of the renewables obligation and feed-in tariffs fall on electricity suppliers who pass them on to electricity consumers. In the case of FITs, public support costs are estimated in 'net' terms ie net of the value of electricity exported back to the grid.

Sheffield Forgemasters

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2010,  Official Report, column 981W, on Sheffield Forgemasters, what the dates of his discussions with ministerial colleagues were; which Ministers were involved; whether the discussions were part of a formal meeting; whether minutes or notes were taken; what the outcomes of the discussions were; and whether the discussions are ongoing.

Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State regularly discusses a wide variety of issues with ministerial colleagues.
	There were no formal discussions on Sheffield Forgemasters and therefore there is no record of these discussions. Following the decision to withdraw the loan officials worked with the company to try to help to achieve a private sector solution as reported at the time the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise on 8 July 2010,  Official Report, column 503.

Solar Energy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2011,  Official Report, column 259W, on solar energy, whether he intends to intervene to prevent any  (a) applications for solar farms currently in planning and  (b) future applications to the feed-in tariffs scheme from proceeding.

Charles Hendry: Following the spending review announcement last October, and our concerns about proposed large industrial-scale green field solar farms distorting the available funding for roof top and other innovative solar technologies, my officials are monitoring the situation closely. We stand ready to take measures to limit the access of such schemes to FITs if that is shown to be necessary.
	The Government will not act retrospectively and any changes implemented will only affect new entrants into the FITs scheme. Installations which are already accredited for FITs will not be affected.

Solar Energy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2011,  Official Report, column 259W, on solar energy, what proportion of feed-in tariff funds for solar photovoltaics have been allocated to  (a) individual households,  (b) community schemes,  (c) non-community based solar farms and  (d) other schemes in each quarter since the scheme began; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of funding to be allocated to each such category of scheme in each quarter until the review date of the scheme.

Charles Hendry: The information is not available in the format requested. Quarterly statistics on feed-in tariffs (FITs) are published by both DECC and Ofgem and currently cover the first two quarters of the FITs scheme (April to September 2010). This confirms that of the 10,531 solar photovoltaic installations accredited for FITs in that period, 99.2% were domestic, 0.4% commercial, 0.4% community and there was one industrial scheme (under 0.01%). The total FITs payments over this period for all technologies was £2,686,712.55.
	Under the FITs scheme, funds are not allocated in the manner described. However, the analysis and projections undertaken by the previous Administration which informed the FITs impact assessment suggested that in the first three years of the scheme (April 2010 to March 2013) only PV installations of 0-4kW would be incentivised under the scheme.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) males and  (b) females are registered as alcohol-dependent in (i) England, (ii) the North East and (iii) Easington constituency.

Anne Milton: There is no scheme or requirement for registration by alcoholics with the national health service. The adult psychiatric morbidity survey, 'Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, 2007' (APMS), was published in January 2009, covering adults living in private households in England. It includes information on the prevalence of alcohol use and dependence by age, sex, region and other factors. National and regional estimates of the number and percentage of alcohol dependent males and females are in the following table. No estimates are available below regional level.
	
		
			  Estimate of the number and percentage of alcohol dependent( 1)  males and females nationally and in the north-east, 2007 
			   Males aged 16 or over  Females aged 16 or over 
			   Estimated number  Estimated percentage  Estimated number  Estimated percentage 
			 North-east 100,000 10.2 40,000 3.7 
			 England 1,200,000 5.8 400,000 1.9 
			 (1) Scoring 16 or more on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

Blood Diseases: Health Services

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to promote the professional development of sickle cell anaemia practitioners; if he will assess the merits of making the Sickle Cell Adult and Child Care Standards a minimum requirement for practitioners, with penalties in place for non-compliance; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The content and standard of health care training is the responsibility of the professional regulators. Their role is that of custodian of quality standards in education and practice. These bodies have a responsibility to ensure that health care practitioners are equipped to deal with the problems they will encounter in practice.
	The Department is aware of the need to ensure perceived areas of weakness in training curricula in respect of sickle cell anaemia are addressed. For that reason, in 2010 health officials met with representatives of the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia All-Party Parliamentary Group and other relevant organisations, including the health Royal Colleges to promote awareness and the appropriate coverage of these conditions in training curricula. As a result curricula were reviewed and a number of changes and additions have been implemented and arrangements established to co-ordinate future liaison and proposals to raise awareness of sickle cell and thalassaemia.

Blood Diseases: Health Services

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the ability of people diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia to access appropriate treatment; whether he has assessed the merits of increasing the level of resources available for such purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department has made no such assessments. Responsibility for access to treatment, and the resourcing, planning, delivery and improvements in services for people diagnosed with sickle cell and thalassaemia are the responsibility of local commissioners and providers.
	The Department has supported a range of initiatives to improve access to quality services for sickle cell and thalassaemia working with key partners, including funding the East Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group to produce standards of care for trusts and service models for commissioners in high and low prevalence areas and integrated pathways of care for patients.
	The development of a national screening programme for sickle cell and thalassaemia has ensured that all expectant women (and fathers-to-be where relevant) are offered screening for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia. In addition all newborns are offered screening for sickle cell. This allows newly born infants with sickle cell disease to receive a definitive diagnosis of their condition, ensuring that prompt and specific treatment can begin immediately.
	Screening, combined with effective follow-up and treatment, helps ensure that babies with sickle cell disease stay well. Out of 669,427 babies tested in England in 2008-09, 360 babies received a screen positive result.
	The Department has also supported the development of a competence framework for nurses caring for those with sickle cell disease and thalassaemia to ensure the highest standard of care is provided at all times.
	 Note:
	Figures provided by the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme.

Cancer

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average time a cancer patient will wait from diagnosis to an appointment with a specialist in  (a) 2011 and  (b) 2012.

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for a patient to see a cancer specialist in  (a) Wirral primary care trust,  (b) primary care trusts in the North West and  (c) England.

Paul Burstow: "Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer", published on 12 January, has confirmed that the current cancer waiting time standards are clinically justified and should be retained. This follows a full review of the evidence base supporting cancer waiting times. A copy of the Strategy has already been placed in the Library.
	In the most recent period for which statistics are available (Quarter Two 2010-11), 95% of patients in England urgently referred with suspected cancer by their general practitioner (GP) were seen by a specialist within two weeks. For primary care trusts (PCTs) in the North West, this figure was 95.8% and for patients served by Wirral PCT the figure was 97.6%. In England, 98.4% of patients were treated 31 days from diagnosis to first treatment for all cancers.
	The NHS Constitution includes the right to see a specialist within two weeks of urgent GP referral, where cancer is suspected, or for the NHS to take all reasonable steps to offer a range of alternative providers where this is not possible. "The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12" confirms that patient rights under the constitution remain in place.

Cancer

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether cancer patients are to be included in the group of patients with a long-term condition to be offered a care plan as proposed in his Department's consultation on choice and control in the NHS;
	(2)  whether cancer is to be included as part of the long-term conditions outcome measure in the new NHS outcomes framework;
	(3)  whether a commitment to care plans for cancer survivors is to be included in his Department's refreshed cancer reform strategy.

Paul Burstow: All people living with one or more long-term conditions, including those with cancer, should be offered a personalised care plan to support improved choice and control. The NHS Outcomes Framework includes a domain for long-term conditions defined as conditions that are not cured but are managed using therapy and/or medication; this includes cancer. 'Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer', published on 12 January 2011, sets out the principles for improved care and support for cancer survivors that the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative has developed. These principles include a care plan following cancer treatment. A copy of the strategy has already been placed in the Library.

Care Homes: Finance

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals his Department has for the future funding of residential care home places.

Paul Burstow: In July 2010, the Government established the independent Commission on the Funding of Care and Support to make recommendations on how to achieve an affordable and sustainable funding system or systems for care and support for all adults in England, both in the home and other settings.
	The Commission is due to report by July this year. More information about its work can be found online at:
	www.dilnotcommission.dh.gov.uk

Carers

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department will provide for the training of carers after March 2011.

Paul Burstow: The provision of training and other similar support to carers is largely a matter for local determination, by the national health service and local authorities.
	The Caring with Confidence programme ended in September 2010. Government announced in October 2010 that over £4 million previously earmarked for the programme was being reinvested across 11 projects, these include:
	£1.8 million funding to a range of voluntary sector organisations supporting carers including the Afiya Trust, in recognition of the particular needs and challenges faced by carers from ethnic minority communities;
	over £1 million funding for training and carer awareness raising for key health and social professionals being delivered by Skills for Care and Skills for Health and training for general practitioners (GPs) and their practice staff being carried out by the Royal College of GPs; and
	£1.35 million funding for a grant scheme aimed at encouraging bids from patient led and condition related organisations wishing to do more to support carers by reaching out to people who do not necessarily see themselves as carers. We received over 270 bids from a wide range of organisations and plan to fund over 80 organisations who were successful bidders.
	The Government have also made all the training materials from Caring with Confidence available free of charge on the Carers Direct website and worked with the national carers' organisations and other interested parties to promote their availability. The materials can be used at a local level to support the continued provision of training to carers.

Departmental Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of subcontracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The information is not held centrally. The Department holds two contracts with suppliers for the provision of cleaning, catering, security and other facilities management services to the Department's London estate. The contracts are awarded through a competitive tender process based on the best overall value for money solution for the Department.

General Practitioners: Wolverhampton

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs in Wolverhampton received over £100,000 from the NHS in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Details of individual general practitioners (GPs) earning over £100,000 in the national health service for Wolverhampton are not collected centrally.
	The most up-to-date information on the overall numbers of GPs earning in excess of £100,000 is contained within the 'GP Earnings and Expenses 2008-09 Final Report', published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre on 12 January 2011.
	A copy of the publication has been placed in the Library.

Hospital Wards: Children

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to exempt paediatric wards from his proposals to eliminate mixed-sex wards in NHS hospitals.

Simon Burns: There are no exemptions to delivering high standards of privacy and dignity. The national health service is expected to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation, except where it is "in the overall best interests of the patient, or reflects patient choice". However, same sex requirements allow sufficient flexibility to provide scope for specialist facilities for children and young people, where patients may choose to share facilities on the basis of age and diagnosis, rather than gender. In this context, the choice has to be a genuine one-not influenced by background factors such as staff convenience, the poor state of buildings or lack of facilities. If the child would prefer to be nursed in proximity to members of the same sex, then this preference should where possible be accommodated.
	The Department has made available guidance(1,)(2) which specifically focuses on children. This makes clear that decisions about where children and young people receive their care should be based on the clinical, psychological and social needs of the individual child or young person. It states that this approach be conveyed to the child, (where they are old enough to understand), and to their parents/carers. In emphasising that young people be offered choice, there remains an emphasis that the location and environment are; safe, healthy, child-friendly and suitable to their age/stage of development.
	This guidance was developed following extensive consultation with clinical staff and patient representative groups.
	(1) A copy has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Professionalletters/Chiefnursingofficerletters/DH_098894
	(2) A copy has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.institute.nhs.uk/images//documents/DSSA/Updates_August_2010/20102503%20dh_TT%20Children_YP.pdf

Maternity Services

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanism he will use to achieve the outcomes identified in his Department's NHS outcomes framework 2011-12 in respect of maternity care.

Anne Milton: The recently published "NHS Outcomes Framework 2011/12" sets out the national outcome measures that will be used to hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account. The Secretary of State for Health will not be setting out how these outcomes should be delivered.
	It will be for the NHS Commissioning Board to determine how best to deliver improvements by working with general practitioner (GP) commissioning consortia and making use of the various tools and levers it will have at its disposal. These include the library of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Quality Standards; the Commissioning Outcomes Framework, which the NHS Commissioning Board will use to hold GP commissioning consortia to account; and other payment mechanisms between the NHS Commissioning Board, commissioners and providers. These are described more fully in both "The NHS Outcomes Framework 2011/12" and "Liberating the NHS: legislative framework and next steps", which can be accessed via the following links:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_123138.pdf
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_122661
	Copies have already been placed in the Library.

Mobility

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of expenditure by primary care trusts on meeting the mobility needs of under-65s living in residential care in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: Information on primary care trust expenditure has never been collected in the level of detail necessary to estimate their expenditure on meeting the mobility needs of under-65s living in residential care. This is because the essential business needs of the Department cannot justify the additional administrative burden on the bodies that would have to provide the data.

NHS: Contracts

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that no US health organisation indicted for defrauding doctors, patients or taxpayers will be allowed to enter into contracts with  (a) GP consortia and  (b) the NHS.

Simon Burns: Arrangements for contracts with general practitioner (GP) consortia for clinical services have yet to be determined, as the creation of GP consortia is subject to parliamentary approval. In future, again subject to parliamentary approval of its proposed new roles, Monitor will develop and agree with the Secretary of State criteria for determining who constitutes a fit person for the purposes of contracting for national health service-funded clinical services. Good procurement practice and current supporting national guidance highlights the importance of rigorous due diligence as part of the initial pre-qualification questionnaire.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase whistleblower rights and protections for NHS staff.

Anne Milton: Whistleblowers in the national health service are already protected from detriment by law.
	A number of improvements have recently been made for NHS staff who wish to raise concerns. Guidance has been published providing advice to NHS organisations on how to implement and review whistleblowing arrangements in line with best practice. We have provided staff with a contractual right to raise concerns in the public interest. We have also recently consulted on proposed amendments to the NHS constitution to emphasise the existing rights and duties for staff and we are analysing the response.
	We also intend to explore with NHS staff further measures to provide a safe and independent authority to whom they can turn when their own organisation is not listening.

NHS: Negligence

Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS Trusts that are not primary care trusts are members of the NHS Litigation Authority's Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts.

Simon Burns: All national health service trusts are members of the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts.

NHS: Standards

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts have escalated to Resource Escalation Action Plan level 4 since 1 November 2010; and on how many occasions such an escalation has occurred in each NHS trust in that period.

Simon Burns: Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP) is a system used by ambulance trusts only to enable ambulance trusts to maintain the delivery of patient services. REAP levels are not reported into the Department centrally, but are used by individual ambulance trusts to manage increases in demand on an escalating sliding scale.
	During the swine flu pandemic in 2009-10, the Department did collect the REAP level data nationally, but this was to assist the Department's National Incident Coordination Centre (NICC) in national co-ordination of the wider health and social care response during the pandemic.
	The REAP plan is essentially a set of pre-agreed actions to manage escalating demand by increasing capacity. It is always in operation, normally at level one, but higher levels are triggered as demand increases.
	Further information on REAP can be found on the Ambulance Leadership Forum website at:
	www.ambulanceleadershipforum.org/

Out of Area Treatment

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what consideration he has given to the effects of differences in health care commissioning practices between England and the devolved Administrations;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the cross-border commissioning protocol in ensuring adherence to the principle that no commissioner shall be disadvantaged by providing services to the other country's residents;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had on the expiration of the cross-border commissioning protocol; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: While there are very significant areas of commonality in health provision in the home nations, there are already some divergences that reflect the differing local priorities, health being a devolved issue, and it is the responsibility of each administration to identify and address these priorities.
	The Department participates in discussions with local health boards in Wales, primary care trusts and the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that funding and commissioning issues arising from the differences in health provision regimes are understood. The cross-border commissioning protocol exists to define the commissioning and payment arrangements for patients living along the Anglo-Welsh border. It is the mechanism through which the two health Departments address the principle that neither commissioners nor patients should be disadvantaged by differences in health commissioning or provision processes between the two countries. The other key principle under the protocol is that the patient's safety and well being must be paramount at all times. No treatment must be refused or delayed due to uncertainty or ambiguity as to funding the health care provision.
	The Secretary of State for Health met Ministers of the Welsh Assembly Government on 1 December 2010 and wrote to the Minister of Health and Social Security for the Welsh Assembly Government following the meeting to say that departmental officials remained committed to agreeing an appropriate level of financial transfer to the Welsh Assembly Government arising from issues around national tariff rates and how these are applied to Wales.
	The cross-border commissioning protocol is due to expire on 31 March 2011 and officials from the Department are also in discussion with the Welsh Assembly Government with the intention of renewing the protocol, to run seamlessly from 2011. Until the forthcoming changes to the manner in which health care in England is commissioned are finalised in the Health and Social Care Bill currently going through Parliament, the intention is that no substantial changes to the cross-border protocol should be introduced. For this reason, the protocol is expected to be renewed for just one year.

Pain: Medical Treatments

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence develops a specific quality standard for pain as a stand-alone condition.

Simon Burns: Additional work, to assess the feasibility and scope for a quality standard for pain relief, for both adults and children, is required before it can be referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for them to develop a quality standard on that topic. NICE will provide that assessment later in the year.
	Further details about NICE's quality standards programme can be found on the institute's website, including details of published and developing standards that, where appropriate, address the issue of pain management as part of an integrated care pathway.
	www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qualitystandards/moreinfoaboutnicequalitystandards.jsp

Prescriptions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to review the electronic transmission of prescriptions project.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement on the National Programme for Information Technology that I made on 9 September 2010,  Official Report, columns 21-22WS. There are no plans to further review the electronic prescription service, previously known as the electronic transmission of prescriptions programme.

Public Health Service

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on preventing primary care trusts decommissioning public health services before the introduction of the public health service outlined in the NHS White Paper.

Anne Milton: The 'NHS Operating Framework 2011/12' states that the national health service must continue to lead on improvements to public health, ensuring that public health services are in the strongest possible position when responsibilities are devolved to local authorities.
	During transition, overall accountability for delivery will remain with the existing organisations in the system. Strategic health authorities will be accountable for delivery and for overseeing the transition in their region up to April 2012 and primary care trusts will remain statutorily accountable up to April 2013.

Slaughterhouses: Horses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many horses were slaughtered in UK abattoirs in the last year for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010 7,933 equines were slaughtered in red meat slaughterhouses in England, Scotland and Wales.

Smoking: Health Services

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on advertising and marketing NHS smoking cessation services in each quarter of 2010.

Anne Milton: The Department's estimated expenditure on advertising and marketing for national health service smoking cessation services in each quarter of 2010 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Q4 (January to March) 861,456 
			 Q1 (April to June) 26,000 
			 Q2 (July to September) 0 
			 Q3 (October to December) 0 
		
	
	Figures are provisional and unaudited and are based on total advertising and marketing expenditure directly spent on promoting NHS smoking cessation services across the range of marketing channels, including advertising media, direct and relationship marketing, partnership marketing, digital marketing, public relations, events and publications.
	The local NHS also spends money promoting NHS Stop Smoking Services, details of which are held by local NHS organisations and are not held centrally.
	The majority of the 2010 spend took place during the January to March 2010 period. A high expenditure during this period is common as it is the key season for quitting smoking.

Smoking: Health Services

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many quit attempts NHS smoking cessation services recorded in each quarter of 2010.

Anne Milton: Information on people setting a quit date, through the national health service Stop Smoking services, and successful quitters by quarter in 2010, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of people in England setting a quit date and successful quitters( 1)  in 2010 
			  Quarters 1 to 3  Number setting a quit date  Number of successful quitters  Percentage who successfully quit 
			 January to March 2010 243,206(2) 124,792 51 
			 April to June 2010 183,030(3) 85,749 47 
			 July to September 2010 158,425(3) 76,504 48 
			 (1) A client counted as having successfully quit smoking at the four-week follow-up if he/she has not smoked at all since two weeks after quit date.  (2) Quarterly data, which have been finalised by The Health and Social Care Information Centre, Lifestyle Statistics.  (3) Quarterly data have been published for the first two quarters of 2010-11. These data remain provisional until the end of year 2010-11 report is published, expected to be in August 2011.   Source:  The Health and Social Care Information Centre, Lifestyle Statistics. 
		
	
	The data on the number of quit attempts for quarters two and three are provisional. Provisional data for quarter four are expected to be published in August 2011.
	Information on people setting a quit date and successful quitters, by quarter, 2001-02 to 2009-10 is contained within table 2.2 of 'Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services: England, April 2009 to March 2010'.
	This publication has been placed in the Library.

Swine Flu: COE Countries

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the  (a) expenditure and  (b) outcomes of measures to tackle swine flu in other Council of Europe member states.

Anne Milton: The European Commission has carried out two reviews of the H1N1 pandemic response across the European Union and European economic area. The reviews provide helpful benchmarks across a range of areas, including communications, co-ordination of public health measures, and availability and use of antivirals and vaccines. These reviews can be found at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/health/communicable_diseases/docs/assessment_response_en.pdf
	http://ec.europa.eu/health/communicable_diseases/docs/assessment_vaccine_en.pdf
	On spend, the Department does not hold benchmark comparisons. This is partly due to the different approaches used by countries as to what factors are included. Also the commercial confidentiality of contracts for countermeasures restricts benchmarking.

Waiting Lists

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients in the NHS have been treated by non-NHS providers as a consequence of the provisions of the Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Heath Authorities (Waiting Times) Directions 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of primary care trusts in complying with their legal requirements under the Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Heath Authorities (Waiting Times) Directions 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information on how many patients have been treated by non-national health service providers as a consequence of the 'Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities (Waiting Times) Directions 2010'.
	The Department has not made an assessment of the effectiveness of primary care trusts in complying with their legal duty to commission services that meet maximum waiting times standards and to offer redress to patients who wait longer if they request it.
	The right to access services within maximum waiting times remains in the NHS constitution. NHS organisations need to be able to demonstrate that they have met patients' rights and fulfilled their obligations.

TRANSPORT

Ambulance Services: Accidents

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many emergency response ambulances have been involved in a road traffic accident in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one ambulance in Great Britain in each of the last three years for which figures are available is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of accidents 
			 2007 304 
			 2008 260 
			 2009 288 
		
	
	It is not possible to identify emergency response ambulances as the data are based on a "body type" of vehicles involved and therefore all types of ambulances are included in the data table.

Blue Badge Scheme: Older People

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to make all people aged over 65 eligible for the Blue Badge scheme.

Norman Baker: holding answer 21 January 2011
	Eligibility for the Blue Badge scheme is set out in legislation. The Government have no plans to extend eligibility to all people aged over 65 and believe that badges should be issued on the basis of need, not age. The accessibility benefits offered by the scheme should be protected for the benefit of those disabled people who most rely on being able to park close to jobs, shops and services.

Cycling: Accidents

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cyclists were involved in reported road traffic accidents in Great Britain in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The information requested is published in "Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2009 Annual Report". The number of pedal cycles involved in reported personal injury road accidents in Great Britain by year is available from Table 10. The number of pedal cycle casualties involved in such accidents is available from Table 6c.
	Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. This report can also be found at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/162469/221412/221549/227755/rrcgb2009.pdf

Cycling: Accidents

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians were  (a) injured and  (b) killed as a result of accidents involving cyclists in Great Britain in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The number of reported pedestrian casualties in collisions with pedal cyclists in Great Britain in each of the last five years is given in following table:
	
		
			   Number of casualties 
			   Injured  Killed 
			 2005 276 3 
			 2006 223 3 
			 2007 225 4 
			 2008 260 1 
			 2009 292 0 
		
	
	The above figures include pedestrian casualties from collisions involving cyclists only. Where other vehicles were involved in the collision besides a cyclist, pedestrian casualties have been excluded.

Driving Instruction: Training

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the residential location is of each entrant on the Approved Driving Instructor Register according to the Rural/Urban Local Authority Classification.

Michael Penning: The Driving Standards Agency can provide the information requested only at disproportionate cost.

Driving Instruction: Training

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the residential location is of each relevant entrant on the Approved Driving Instructor Register according to the Scottish Executive Rural/Urban Local Authority Classification.

Michael Penning: The Driving Standards Agency can provide the information requested only at disproportionate cost.

Driving: Diabetes

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to place a requirement on young drivers who are diabetic to check regularly their insulin levels for the purposes of preventing a hypoglycaemic attack while driving.

Michael Penning: There are no current plans to place additional requirements on drivers who are diabetic. All drivers with insulin treated diabetes are already required by law to notify the Secretary of State, in practice the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, of their condition. Drivers notifying the Agency are required to confirm whether they monitor their blood glucose regularly and this information is considered when deciding whether to issue a driving licence.

Highways Agency: Telephone Services

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has set a target for reducing the number of calls to the Highways Agency public helpline which are unanswered.

Michael Penning: holding answer 21 January 2011
	 The Highways Agency information line (0300 1235000) has an internal target to have no more than 10% of calls abandoned where the customer has waited for at least one minute. Despite recent demand the current rate of abandoned calls for the year to date stands at 6.3%, well within target.

HM Coastguard: Manpower

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff left HM Coastguard service  (a) voluntarily and  (b) involuntarily in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and what the level of (i) internal and (ii) external staff turnover was in each such year.

Michael Penning: In respect of staff leaving HM Coastguard the following are figures covering the period 2003 to 2010.
	
		
			   Type 
			   Involuntary  Voluntary  Total 
			 2001 (1)- (1)- - 
			 2002 (2)- (2)- - 
			 2003 9 30 39 
			 2004 5 37 42 
			 2005 3 45 48 
			 2006 8 44 52 
			 2007 6 41 47 
			 2008 3 44 47 
			 2009 6 26 32 
			 2010 8 43 51 
			 (1) No data (2) Incomplete 
		
	
	In respect of internal and external turnover the following are the figures covering the period 2003 to 2010.
	
		
			  Type: External  Percentage 
			 2001 (1)- 
			 2002 (2)- 
			 2003 7.32 
			 2004 7.88 
			 2005 9.01 
			 2006 9.76 
			 2007 8.82 
			 2008 8.82 
			 2009 6.00 
			 2010 9.57 
			 (1) No data (2) Incomplete 
		
	
	The data the hon. Member has requested in respect of 2001 and 2002 are not in a readily accessible format. Due to the format the Maritime Coastguard Agency record turnover data it is also not possible to provide reliable figures for the internal turnover of staff.

HM Coastguard: Tugboats

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for emergency ship towing after the removal of tugboats as a result of his proposed new structure for HM Coastguard.

Michael Penning: The decision not to continue public funding of emergency towing vessels recognises that towage and salvage are matters that are properly the responsibility of ship owners and operators.
	In relation to emergency ship towing, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) aims to meet all interested parties to discuss how incident management will be undertaken after the current contract for emergency towing vessels expires in September 2011. The first meeting has been arranged for Edinburgh on 4 March.
	Although our decision not to renew the contract for emergency towing vessels, and the proposals I launched on 16 December for modernising the coastguard service, form part of the Department's response to the comprehensive spending review, the matters are not connected. Modernising the coastguard is about how best to provide a national search and rescue co-ordination service fit for the 21st century.

HS2 Tunnel

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the construction of the route from the second HS2 tunnel from Chalk Farm to St Pancras will involve taking over any land or buildings not presently used for railway purposes.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 10 January 2011
	Current plans mean the proposed High Speed 2/High Speed 1 link will emerge from tunnel on to existing railway land at the site of the disused Primrose Hill station. It would then continue on the surface, using the existing North London line through Camden Road station and on to the existing HS1 connection. Detailed design for the hybrid Bill would confirm the extent of the alterations, but at this stage we do not expect that any land outside the existing railway boundary would be required.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people paid vehicle excise duty for less than 12 months in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The following table provides the number of six-month vehicle excise duty discs purchased in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the last five financial years.
	
		
			   Great Britain  Northern Ireland 
			 2005-06 19,834,316 248,458 
			 2006-07 19,699,346 247,211 
			 2007-08 20,122,136 253,919 
			 2008-09 20,004,072 254,409 
			 2009-10 20,145,054 257,552

Motorways: M1

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 348-49W, on motorways: M1, which part of the M1 North and Southbound was closed on Monday 6 December 2010 and which part was closed on Sunday 28 November 2010 between 2 pm and 10 pm.

Michael Penning: On Monday 6 December the M1 was closed southbound between Junction 20 and 21 from 06:01 to 15:08.
	On Sunday 28 November the M1 was closed southbound between junctions 12 and 13 from 14:17 until 17:32. Residual delays remained in the area until 19:11.

Prince William: Marriage

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the likely financial effect on those organising street parties and other road-based events to mark the Royal Wedding on 29 April 2011 of proposed changes to the procedure for road closure notices.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 January 2011
	There are no current proposals to change the regulations and published advice on 'special event' traffic regulation orders (TROs), used by local authorities to close roads for temporary events, but I am examining the issues for authorities in England in the context of our Traffic Signs Policy Review.
	The regulations and published advice for 'special event' TROs are distinct from those applying to other TROs, and are not prescriptive. Local procedures applying to road closures for street parties are therefore determined by the relevant local authorities. The financial effects of their procedures are matters for those authorities. English local authorities should avoid implementing unnecessarily expensive or burdensome procedures.
	It is for the Welsh Assembly Government to consider the relevant procedures that apply in Wales.

Public Transport: Visual Impairment

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals for a right to accessible public travel information for blind and partially-sighted people.

Norman Baker: The Transport Act 2000 empowers local transport authorities in England and Wales to determine what local bus information, including information relating to facilities for disabled passengers, should be made available to the public and the way in which it should be made available.
	It is expected that under the proposed EU regulation on bus and coach passenger rights, that operators and terminal managing bodies would be required to provide passengers with adequate information throughout their travel. Where feasible, this should be provided in accessible formats upon request. Negotiation of that regulation should conclude in the next few months, with the final text then published in the  Official Journal of the European Union. As a regulation it would have direct application two years after its publication.
	The Department for Transport commissioned a research project to investigate the costs and benefits of installing audio visual systems on buses, and to consider ways of increasing the take up of these systems. This project will provide guidance for local authorities and bus operators as to the benefits of audio visual systems and ways of implementing them.

Railways: High Speed Trains

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received on the performance of high-speed rail services through the Channel Tunnel in December 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 18 January 2011
	The Secretary of State for Transport has received only a very limited number of direct representations regarding the performance of high-speed rail services through the Channel Tunnel in December.
	Nevertheless the Department continues to review a range of winter resilience issues. While extreme weather will always cause at least some disruption, we will be working with transport operators to ensure lessons are learned from the recent events to try to minimise inconvenience to passengers.

Railways: North West

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to consult on changes to the Trans-Pennine Rail Franchise.

Theresa Villiers: During the life of the franchise, the train operating company is responsible for consulting on any proposed changes to services. The Department for Transport will initiate stakeholder consultation on a replacement for the present TransPennine Express rail franchise around six months before issuing an Invitation to Tender.

Railways: Standards

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much each train company paid in compensation as a result of service delays in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold this information in the form requested.
	Train companies pay compensation to passengers for delays and other matters arising from poor service, under the terms of their passengers' charters. The terms of each operator's passengers' charter are set out in their respective franchise agreements.

Railways: Waste Disposal

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on changes to regulations which permit train operating companies to operate sanitary facilities on trains which discharge waste directly onto the tracks; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of railway carriages with such facilities.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has received various representations on this matter including from Members of this House, the media and members of the public. While my Department recognises the importance of toilet retention systems, it is the responsibility of individual operators to develop programmes to install them on existing trains. All new trains now have them.
	The Department does not hold information on the number of railway carriages with sanitary facilities discharging waste directly on to the tracks. The hon. Member may wish to contact the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) at the following address for this information:
	ATOC Ltd.
	3rd Floor
	40 Bernard Street
	London WC1N 1BY
	The Rolling Stock Leasing Companies (ROSCOs) could also be contacted for this information.

Railways: Waste Disposal

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of railway carriages with toilet facilities.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The hon. Member may wish to contact the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) at the following address for this information:
	ATOC Ltd.
	3rd Floor
	40 Bernard Street
	London WC1N 1BY
	The Rolling Stock Leasing Companies (ROSCOs) could also be approached about this information.

Road Traffic

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the difference was between actual congestion levels and those projected by his Department in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: holding answer 20 January 2011
	 The Department for Transport produces congestion forecasts for certain years using the National Transport Model. The latest forecasts are available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/economics/ntm/forecasts2009/
	However, the first year for which forecasts are provided in this report is 2015. The most recent available set of congestion forecasts for 2010, can be found in: "Road Traffic Forecasts 2008: Results from the Department for Transport's National Transport Model", which is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/economics/ntm/roadtransportforcasts08/rtf08.pdf
	These forecasts show that congestion, measured in terms of delay on all roads in England was expected to increase by 1% between 2003 and 2010, and decrease by 1% on inter-urban Highways Agency roads.
	The Department publishes inter-urban congestion statistics, the latest summary of these is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/roads/congestion/latestinterurban/interurban2010a.pdf
	From the above report, historic delay data for all journeys from July 2005 can be accessed at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/roads/congestion/inter-urban/cgn0103.xls
	Although there is a break in the data series, this shows that the average length of delay experienced by users of the strategic road network was broadly similar in November 2010 to July 2005.

Road Traffic Control

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instigate an investigation into the health and safety implications of the use of Trief kerbs.

Norman Baker: We have no current plans to instigate such research. The appropriate use of Trief kerbs is a matter for individual highway authorities.

Road Traffic: Kent

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the average daily number of vehicles using the  (a) A2 in Dover constituency,  (b) A258 between Dover and Deal and  (c) A256 in Dover constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: The most recent estimate of the average daily number of vehicles using the A2 in the Dover constituency was made for the 12 months ending on 30 November 2010. The figures are listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Direction  Location  Av era g e  24  h ou r traffic volumes 
			 S/B Between A260 and Whitfield 7,778 
			 N/B Between Whitfield and A260 7,675 
			 S/B Between Whitfield and A256 8,996 
			 N/B Between A256 and Whitfield 8,272 
			 S/B Between A256 and A258 12,413 
			 N/B Between A258 and A256 12,221 
			 S/B Between A258 and A20 9,262 
			 N/B Between A20 and A258 8,711 
		
	
	No estimate has been made of the number of vehicles using the A258 or the A256 as the Secretary of State is not responsible for these routes. They are managed and maintained by Kent county council.

Roads: Closures

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely financial effect on  (a) voluntary organisations and  (b) small businesses of proposed changes to the procedure for road closure notices.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 January 2011
	There are no current proposals to change national regulations or guidance on procedures for effecting road closures, as they apply in England. However, I am examining some relevant issues in the context of our Traffic Signs Policy Review, and the Government's policies for localism and decentralisation. Any final decisions on regulatory changes will be made with reference to impact assessments.
	It is for the Welsh Assembly Government to consider the procedures that apply in Wales.

Roads: Fees and Charges

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish his Department's response to its consultation on Amendment to the Charges for Unreasonably Prolonged Occupation of the Highways.

Norman Baker: holding answer 21 January 2011
	 The Department for Transport has stated in its business plan that The Street Works (Charges for Unreasonably Prolonged Occupation of the Highway) (England) (Amendment) Regulations will be laid before Parliament by October 2011.

Traffic Regulation

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on the issue of traffic regulation orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 January 2011
	 The procedures for making permanent and experimental Traffic Regulation Orders are set out in the Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedures) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996.
	Advice on procedures for making 'special events' traffic regulation orders for temporary events can be found in "Advice on procedures for making "special events" orders under sections 16a-c of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984", available from the Department for Transport's website at
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/specialeventorders
	This document contains non-binding advice and does not set out statutory requirements.
	It is for the Welsh Assembly Government to determine the regulations and guidance that apply in Wales.

Transport: Finance

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on  (a) the Integrated Transport Block and  (b) major transport schemes in each region in each year since 1997-98.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport provides local authorities with Integrated Transport Block funding for small scale transport schemes and major project funding for transport schemes, mostly costing over £5 million.
	The following table sets out funding allocations for the Integrated Transport Block between 2000-01 and 2010-11. Different funding arrangements were in place for Integrated Transport Block funding before 2000-01.
	
		
			  Integrated Transport Block funding 
			  £ million 
			   North West  North East  Yorks and Humber  East  West Mids  East Mids  South West  South East  Total 
			 2010-11(1) 89.8 27.7 58.6 48.0 63.4 48.0 44.7 71.5 451.8 
			 2009-10 117.3 35.8 77.4 63.9 82.3 61.1 59.0 92.6 589.4 
			 2008-09 114.6 34.6 76.5 63.6 79.9 58.3 58.2 89.7 576.8 
			 2007-08 116.5 33.9 76.3 64.0 78.5 55.7 57.9 88.3 571.0 
			 2006-07 107.0 33.2 75.6 65.0 70.5 53.9 56.9 85.0 547.0 
			 2005-06 113.0 33.4 79.0 65.0 72.6 47.1 57.8 84.6 552.5 
			 2004-05 141.6 40.3 89.9 72.6 94.2 57.0 61.6 100.7 658.0 
			 2003-04 129.8 36.5 85.2 72.1 86.0 53.4 58.8 90.7 612.5 
			 2002-03 105.6 35.4 77.5 66.9 79.7 53.0 59.2 87.4 564.6 
			 2001-02 102.8 34.9 76.0 65.5 75.2 51.8 55.2 81.2 542.7 
			 2000-01 47.4 16.1 35.1 29.9 34.7 22.4 25.6 38.8 250.0 
			 (1) Integrated Transport Block funding in 2010-11 was reduced by 25% as part of the coalition Government's in-year savings to reduce the fiscal deficit. 
		
	
	The following table sets out actual spend on major schemes between 2001-02 and 2009-10. The breakdown between regions before 2006-07 is not available and the total is not available before 2001-02.
	
		
			  Major scheme funding 
			  £ million 
			   North West  North East  Yorks and Humber  East  West Mids  East Mids  South West  South East  Total 
			 2009-10 184.1 30.9 43.5 22.2 116.4 49.6 59.9 67.5 564.1 
			 2008-09 105.0 14.7 57.6 48.7 43.0 60.6 26.7 32.5 388.8 
			 2007-08 47.1 18.6 48.0 48.0 57.9 27.6 1.1 15.4 263.7 
			 2006-07 28.5 23.1 61.4 44.0 60.1 44.2 11.8 39.1 312.2 
			 2005-06 - - - - - - - - 318.0 
			 2004-05 - - - - - - - - 274.0 
			 2003-04 - - - - - - - - 196.0 
			 2002-03 - - - - - - - - 286.0 
			 2001-02 - - - - - - - - 152.0 
		
	
	Additional major scheme funding was allocated to certain local authorities by formula as follows:
	£10 million for North East authorities in 2009-10.
	46.9 million for Yorkshire and Humber authorities in 2009-10 and £23.5 million in 2010-11.
	Separate arrangements are in place for local transport funding in London.

UK Journeys

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK journeys over  (a) 50 miles and  (b) 100 miles to be made in 2033.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has used the National Transport Model (NTM) to estimate that in 2035 there will be 210 million passenger trips per weekday on average by surface modes (including road and rail, but excluding freight), in Great Britain. Of these, 4.2 million are expected to be over 50 miles long, and 1.5 million trips over 100 miles long.
	In addition, the Department for Transport published its most recent air passenger demand forecasts in "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts" in January 2009, which is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/atf/co2forecasts09/
	Under a scenario assuming no additional runways in the South East, and using the then latest available GDP projections, this set of forecasts implied that there would be 37.6 million domestic air journeys per year between UK airports in 2030. The Department keeps its aviation forecasts under review and will publish updated forecasts as appropriate.
	Growth of trip numbers over the period to 2033 by particular modes, and for particular parts of the network, may differ from these overall figures.
	In addition, HS2 Ltd has published a forecast showing it expects there to be 7 million 'long distance' trips daily in 2033. However, this is not comparable to the preceding NTM figures. This is because HS2 Ltd's model of 'long distance' travel is based on a subset of trips which differs from the national set used in the NTM, and its 'long distance' trips include some that are less than 50 miles long. This different dataset was chosen by HS2 Ltd to enable effective and efficient modelling of the likely impacts of HS2.

West Coast Railway Line

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes in capacity on the West Coast Main Line he expects to specify in the new franchise.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport announced the launch of the competitions to refranchise Intercity West Coast on Tuesday 11 January. A stakeholder consultation document will be available soon that will outline the Department's plans.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Voting Rights: Prisoners

William Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of extending the franchise to people serving a custodial sentence of four years or less over the comprehensive spending review period.

Mark Harper: The cost of extending the franchise to some prisoners will depend on the numbers enfranchised and the number of prisoners who subsequently register to vote, as well as the detailed processes that are put in place to implement prisoner voting rights.

Voting Rights: Prisoners

William Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of the provision of election communications by freepost to prisoners serving custodial sentences to whom the franchise is to be extended at the next general election.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made such an estimate.
	The cost of extending the franchise to some prisoners will depend on the numbers enfranchised and the number of prisoners who subsequently register to vote, as well as the detailed processes that are put in place to implement prisoner voting rights. The cost of providing election communications by freepost will additionally depend on the number of candidates standing in each election.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Working Conditions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on  (a) the space provided per employee,  (b) home working and  (c) hot desking; how many employees it has on average per desk; and how much space on average there is per employee.

Chris Grayling: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Space provided per employee
	The Department has a policy on the amount of space provided per employee which is a two-tier approach that recognises the Department occupies a variety of both adapted and purpose built space in order to deliver its services either through back office, contact centre or face to face with customers.
	The policy and supporting guidance will be used by local managers and staff representatives when determining estate plans.
	The standards are:
	
		
			  Tier  m( 2)  
			 1 6 to 10 New and existing modern space for functions including back office, central processing, contact centres and the Head Office Estates 
			 2 14 to 18 Existing older space, including new and refurbished 'front office' Jobcentre Plus properties 
		
	
	 (b) Home working
	The Department has a policy on home working. An application to become a contractual home worker will be accepted only if the employee's role has been identified as being suitable for home working or a vacancy has been advertised as such. Applications will not be accepted if the role has been designated by the departmental business as only suitable for delivery from a business location.
	If a role is considered to be suitable a home visit must be undertaken to determine whether the accommodation is suitable in terms of security, health and safety and practicality. Employees must also obtain clearance from their local authority, home insurer, mortgage lender or landlord to ensure that there are no terms, conditions or covenants that prevent the property from being used as a place of work.
	The Department provides contractual home workers with the equipment and furniture they need to carry out their duties outside the parent office, but this remains the property of the Department and must be returned when the arrangement ceases for any reason.
	All home working arrangements are conditional on the satisfactory completion of a six-month trial and review period.
	 (c) Hot desking
	The Department does not have a policy on 'hot desking'.
	However through our Estate Strategy we are currently piloting 'hot desking' in part of one of our support locations in Leeds.
	Future wider implementation is being currently considered as part of our efficiency planning to reduce corporate overheads by 40%.
	 How many employees it has on average per desk
	The Department does not hold data on the number of desks.
	 How much space on average per employee
	Under the annual cross-Government Property Benchmarking exercise for 2010 the Department had, on average, 10m(2) per full-time equivalent employee. This information is published in the State of the Estate Report which is laid before Parliament annually and excludes the customer facing areas of jobcentres.
	The Department as a whole (and with regard to the two tiered space guidelines mentioned above) has an average amount of space per employee of 14.4m(2) as at January 2011.

Disability Living Allowance

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has assessed the merits of providing for exemptions from the proposed compulsory annual review of the benefits of individuals claiming the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: On 6 December we launched a consultation on the reform of disability living allowance with the key proposal of a new benefit, to be known as personal independence payment, which will be introduced from 2013. A copy of the consultation document, 'Disability Living Allowance reform' (Cm 7984), has been placed in the Library and is also available on our website:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dla-reform-consultation.pdf
	The consultation makes clear that key to personal independence payment will be an objective assessment of individual need, which we are developing in collaboration with a group of independent specialists in health, social care and disability, including disabled people. It is also our intention to ensure that everyone continues to receive the correct level of personal independence payment. We will, therefore, periodically review awards. Specific questions around these two aspects of personal independence payment have been asked in the consultation document, in particular how these aspects may affect individuals with particular disabilities or conditions.

Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received from charities on the withdrawal of the mobility component of disability living allowance for care home residents; and what response he has made to such representations.

Maria Miller: We have received a number of representations on the withdrawal of the mobility component of disability allowance for care home residents in the form of parliamentary questions and correspondence since the measure was announced. There was also an adjournment debate on this subject on 30 November 2010.
	We have encouraged disabled people and their representatives to put forward their views on this proposal as part of the wider DLA reform consultation document, which was published on 6 December 2010 and will finish on 14 February 2011, after which the Government will publish their response.

Disability Living Allowance: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency,  (b) South Lanarkshire and  (c) Scotland will have the mobility component of their disability living allowance withdrawn under his proposals for welfare reform.

Maria Miller: The consultation document 'Disability Living Allowance reform', published on 6 December 2010, sets out our proposals for DLA reform. We will replace DLA with personal independence payment, a new, more transparent and sustainable benefit with an objective assessment of individual need.
	It is our proposal that personal independence payment will continue to have a mobility component, focused on the individual's ability to get around, as well as a daily living component, which will be based on the individual's ability to carry out other key activities necessary to be able to participate in daily life.
	We are still consulting on the design of personal independence payment and the new assessment; the consultation period is scheduled to close on 14 February 2011. I am, therefore, unable to predict the outcome of the assessment and precisely how many people might see a change in their benefit entitlement.

Disability Living Allowance: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency,  (b) South Lanarkshire and  (c) Scotland are in receipt of the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: The information is reproduced in the following table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance recipients with mobility component May 2010 
			   Number 
			 Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency 8,050 
			 South Lanarkshire local authority 20,590 
			 Scotland 305,020 
			  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. These figures are published at: http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html  Source: DWP Information Directorate: 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS)

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial support he plans to make available for individuals who do not qualify for income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) after 12 months in the work-related activity group of contributory ESA.

Maria Miller: A claimant who does not qualify for income-related employment and support allowance after they have received 12 months of contributory employment and support allowance in the work related activity group may be able to claim a number of benefits depending on their circumstances. Depending on their rental circumstances, they may be eligible for housing benefit and council tax benefit. If they are aged 60 or over, they may be eligible for pension credit. If they have a partner who is working 16 hours or more a week, they may be able to claim working tax credit. However, any benefit entitlement will depend on individual circumstances.
	A claimant will retain any entitlement to disability living allowance, provided they continue to meet the qualifying conditions.

Employment and Support Allowance: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants in the London borough of Bexley have been judged fit for work since the introduction of ESA; and how many and what proportion of appeals against such a determination were successful.

Maria Miller: For ESA claims in Bexley local authority which started since the introduction of ESA in October 2008 up to February 2010 (the latest published national data), 830 out of 2,230 (22%) have been found fit for work.
	180 appeals have been heard against these fit for work decisions to date and 80 of them found in favour of the appellant, i.e. 4% of all ESA claims assessed.
	Note that further appeals are due to be heard against the 830 decisions.
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
	Equivalent national figures can be found in table 5 at the following link:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_26102010.pdf
	 Background
	Due to the time it takes to hear an appeal (on average around six months) and that we do not record an appeal until it is heard, comparing the latest fit for work figures with the latest appeal figures will usually underestimate the proportion of people appealing the fit for work decision. Latest figures for Bexley suggest that around 22% of people found fit for work have gone on to have an appeal hearing, to date. However this figure will rise as more appeals are heard. The latest national figures show proportions of around 40% for the earliest cohorts of ESA claims but we expect that this will also continue to increase (we anticipate to around 50%).
	The success rate of 56% (which is unlikely to change much as more appeals are heard) is higher than the national rate of 40%, however at local level we would expect some variation from the national figures due to various factors, particularly different disability and health condition profiles experienced across the country.

Employment Schemes

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what types of work will be undertaken by jobseekers required to participate in the Mandatory Work Activity programme.

Chris Grayling: The Department will not specify the type of placement jobseekers will be doing. All placements will be delivered by contracted providers and will be of benefit to the local community, providing jobseekers with the disciplines and skills associated with work.

Housing Benefit: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of  (a) housing benefit and  (b) local housing allowance recipients in (i) South Lanarkshire and (ii) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency were also in receipt of (A) jobseeker's allowance and (B) employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of  (a) housing benefit recipients and  (b) local housing allowance recipients in (i) housing association and (ii) private sector housing in the (A) Dumfries and Galloway local authority area and (B) Dumfries and Galloway constituency were also in receipt of (1) jobseeker's allowance and (2) employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.
	Information is only collected on the number of claimants on housing benefit in receipt of a passporting benefit. This includes those receiving income-based jobseeker's allowance and income-related employment and support allowance, but not those on contributory benefits.
	The available information is shown in the following table. At present geographic breakdowns are only available for local authorities and regions. However, an exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the data; this will include parliamentary constituencies.
	
		
			  Number of passported housing benefit recipients due to receipt of income-based jobseeker's allowance or income-related employment and support allowance, September 2010 
			   Dumfries and Galloway  South Lanarkshire 
			   Number  Percentage  Number 
			 All housing benefit recipients 11,730 - 26,970 
			 Income-based JSA 1,250 11 2,870 
			 Income-related ESA 410 4 1,060 
			 
			 Registered social landlord tenants 8,700 - 4,150 
			 Income-based JSA 840 10 330 
			 Income-related ESA 300 4 120 
			 
			 Regulated private rented sector tenants 90 - 60 
			 Income-based JSA (1)- - (1)- 
			 Income-related ESA (1)- - (1)- 
			 
			 Deregulated private rented sector tenants (LHA) 1,690 - 3,760 
			 Income-based JSA 280 17 670 
			 Income-related ESA 60 4 210 
			 
			 Deregulated private rented sector tenants (non-LHA) 950 - 1,020 
			 Income-based JSA 30 5 60 
			 Income-related ESA 10 1 20 
			 (1) Fewer than 5.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 recipients.  Source: Single housing benefit extract.

Jobcentre Plus: Birkenhead

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people the Birkenhead Jobcentre Plus actively helped into work in each of the last 12 months.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about how many people the Birkenhead Jobcentre Plus actively helped into work in each of the last 12 months. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus provides information on the services and help available to people to look for work. There are many routes into employment and throughout the customer's journey they may have accessed a number of channels. The type of help required or provided will vary from customer to customer. This help is not limited solely to Jobcentre Plus, as we recognise the importance of the private and voluntary sector.
	The table below, which is taken from data available from the NOMIS website for Jobseeker's Allowance customers only, gives the number of people that have moved into work either with our assistance or through other channels. The numbers only show those Jobseeker's Allowance customers who notified us that they have started work. It does not include those people who flowed off benefit into other destinations, e.g. claimed other benefits or went into Government supported training. We estimate off-flow into work as generally representing about 50% of the total number of people leaving the register. Our published off-flow figures (not yet available for the whole of 2010) will include all customers who started work, as confirmed by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.
	
		
			  Birkenhead 2010 
			   Number 
			 January 120 
			 February 220 
			 March 180 
			 April 165 
			 May 220 
			 June 190 
			 July 200 
			 August 225 
			 September 205 
			 October 250 
			 November 190 
			 December 190 
			  Source: The source of the data is the NOMIS. This is a departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tool. This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice.

Jobcentre Plus: Standards

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the performance in reducing unemployment of  (a) Jobcentre Plus and  (b) private companies contracted by his Department.

Chris Grayling: Jobcentre Plus rose ably to the challenges presented by the recession and, while its work load doubled, the agency continued to perform strongly against its published targets, each day helping thousands of people to move quickly back into work. In 2009-10, Jobcentre Plus achieved 1.67 million recorded job outcomes. The latest available performance information, up to June 2010, shows Jobcentre Plus 20% above profile and on track to deliver the 2010-11 Job Outcome Target. Performance information is updated regularly and can be accessed through the Department's website:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk
	It is important that Jobcentre Plus maintains this strong performance going forward, while we take steps to reduce waste and tackle the budget deficit to make every penny of taxpayers' money count. From April, we will be putting in place a new performance framework for Jobcentre Plus to further strengthen the focus on helping people move quickly off benefit into employment.
	Our partners in the private sector are focused on helping some of our most disadvantaged customers into employment and provider performance information is also published regularly on the Department's website. The latest figures show that, in October 2010, flexible new deal providers delivered 4,570 job outcomes and 3,320 sustained jobs. This summer, we will be introducing the work programme which represents a step change for Welfare to Work in this country, creating a structure that treats people as individuals and allows providers greater freedom to tailor the right support to the individual needs of each customer.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 25 years and over are expected to have been in receipt of benefit for more than 12 months in each financial year from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not produce forecasts of unemployment. The Department produces projections for business planning purposes which are aligned to the overall independent claimant count forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of the autumn forecast.
	A number of policy changes will impact on JSA volumes, over the Parliament, including migration of incapacity benefit claimants to employment and support allowance and the lone parent obligation. These policy changes have been included in these projections. However, the projections do not include the impact of the planned work programme, or the introduction of universal credit.
	On average, of those joining JSA, over 90% of people leave JSA within 12 months.
	The available projections are in the table.
	
		
			  25+ Duration greater than 12 months (GB) 
			   Percentage 
			 2011-12 19 
			 2012-13 20 
			 2013-14 21 
			 2014-15 20 
			  Notes: 1. Figures represent the proportion of the 25+ JSA case load not the total JSA case load. 2. These proportions are based on the average point-in-time case load for Great Britain for each financial year. 3. Figures are subject to a significant degree of uncertainty.  Source: DWP internal planning

Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 18 to 24 years are expected to have been in receipt of benefit for more than nine months in each financial year from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not produce forecasts of unemployment. The Department produces projections for business planning purposes which are aligned to the overall independent claimant count forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of the autumn forecast.
	A number of policy changes will impact on JSA volumes, over the Parliament, including migration of incapacity benefit claimants to employment and support allowance and the lone-parent obligation. These policy changes have been included in these projections. However, the projections do not include the impact of the planned Work programme, or the introduction of universal credit.
	On average, of those joining JSA, over 90% of people leave JSA within 12 months.
	The available projections are in the table.
	
		
			  18-24: Duration greater than nine  months,  GB 
			   Percentage 
			 2011-12 10 
			 2012-13 9 
			 2013-14 9 
			 2014-15 9 
			  Notes: 1. Figures represent the proportion of the 18 to 24 JSA caseload not the total JSA caseload. 2. These proportions are based on the average point-in-time caseload for Great Britain for each financial year. 3. Figures are subject to a significant degree of uncertainty.  Source: DWP internal planning.

Motability

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent discussions his Department has had with the operators of the Motability scheme on the removal of the mobility component of disability living allowance for people in residential care;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2010,  Official Report, column 789W, on disability living allowance: care homes, whether Motability scheme users will be liable to pay financial penalties as a result of the cancellation of their car leasing arrangements.

Maria Miller: Motability is an independent charitable organisation and is wholly responsible for the administration of the Motability Scheme. The Department has had a number of discussions with Motability about this proposal and will continue to work closely with them to ensure that scheme customers affected by the measure are informed about the change as soon as possible. As an independent organisation it will be for Motability to decide how scheme customers affected by the measure will be managed. However, Motability has advised that it is not their current policy to impose penalties on customers who need to terminate their leases for reasons outside of their control.

Poverty: Children

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to  (a) appoint the members of the Child Poverty Commission and  (b) lay before Parliament a child poverty strategy.

Maria Miller: The Government's programme to reform public bodies demonstrates our determination to ensure that all public bodies must serve a useful purpose and provide value for money. In this context, the Government are reviewing plans to establish a Child Poverty Commission, as required by the Child Poverty Act.
	We have today launched a consultation on our approach to tackling child poverty and improving life chances and social mobility. We will consider in the light of the consulting findings and ahead of the publication of the Child Poverty Strategy how best to take forward plans for the Child Poverty Commission. We expect the strategy to be published next spring, as required by the Act.

Poverty: EU Action

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to implement the EU strategy against poverty.

Chris Grayling: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Oxford East (Mr Smith) on 17 January 2011,  Official Report, column 521W.

Remploy: Redundancy

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  on what date Ministers in his Department last met those leading his Department's consultation on specialist disability employment programmes to discuss the announcement of voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories;
	(2)  for what reason his Department has announced voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories in advance of the close of its consultation on specialist disability employment programmes.

Maria Miller: Voluntary redundancies are a matter for Remploy management and employees. Remploy will continue to examine how best to deliver its businesses within the existing five-year modernisation plan funding and will continue to fulfil its mission of transforming lives by providing sustainable employment opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people.
	Ministers have not discussed the announcement of voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories with those leading the review of specialist disability employment programmes.

Remploy: Redundancy

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  on what date Ministers in his Department last met (a) Remploy, (b) trade unions and (c) officials of his Department to discuss the announcement of voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories.
	(2)  what steps his Department took to examine alternatives to voluntary redundancies at Remploy factories.

Maria Miller: Regular discussions take place between Ministers, officials, Remploy management and other key stakeholders to discuss issues relating to the company. The offer of voluntary redundancies is a decision made by Remploy management to help the continuing operation of the businesses within that budget and to help ensure all employees have meaningful work.
	I am always happy to receive representations from Remploy staff, management and unions.

Retirement: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of additional workers in Scotland aged 65 years who are likely to remain in the workforce for the additional year in 2011 following the abolition of the default retirement age.

Edward Davey: I have been asked to reply.
	Our impact assessment estimates that around 6,000 additional workers are likely to remain in the work force across the UK in the first year. No separate estimate has been made for Scotland. We do not have data that can estimate robustly the proportion likely to remain in the work force relative to the rest of the UK.
	The full impact assessment was published on 13 January and is available at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/p/11-634-phasing-out-default-retirement-age-impact-assessment.pdf

Social Security Benefits

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in Dartford constituency received more than £500 per week in benefits in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many households in  (a) London and  (b) each parliamentary constituency receive more than £500 a week in benefits have no working adult; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many households which receive more than £500 a week in benefits are in receipt of lone parent benefits in  (a) London and  (b) each parliamentary constituency; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many households received more than £500 a week in benefits in  (a) London and  (b) each parliamentary constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for areas smaller than Great Britain.
	Latest estimates show that in 2010-11 there are around 100,000 working age households in receipt of more than £500 a week in all benefits and tax credits. The great majority of these will have no working adult.
	Given the relatively low numbers of people receiving more than £500 a week in benefits and the limitations from using survey data, which do not produce robust estimates for small sub groups of benefit claimants, it is not possible to estimate with confidence the number of these households in receipt of lone parent benefits.

Social Security Benefits: Aberdeen

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets his Department has set for the benefits reassessment trial programme in Aberdeen; and whether an interim report on its operation has been produced.

Chris Grayling: No targets were set for the reassessment trial in Aberdeen.
	We anticipate the trial, involving 850 customers in Aberdeen and 850 in Burnley to conclude in the next few weeks. Current plans are for a report on the trial outcomes to be made available around the end of February 2011.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of fortnightly benefit payments of disability living allowance and incapacity benefit on the propensity of claimants to take out high interest loans.

Maria Miller: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I previously gave her on 19 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 995-96W.

Social Security Benefits: Expenditure

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department made in the March 2010 Budget of the level of  (a) caseload and  (b) expenditure in respect of each of the main benefits in each year from 2010 to 2015.

Chris Grayling: The only forecast material that the last Government published in the March 2010 Budget was for 2010-11.
	The information for 2010-11 is in the table.
	
		
			  March 2010 Budget forecasts for 2010-11 
			   Case load (thousand)  Expenditure  (£ million) 
			 Retirement pension-basic 12,537 55,882 
			 Retirement pension-additional pension 9,157 13,656 
			 Pension credit 2,664 8,071 
			 Disability living allowance 3,214 12,072 
			 Attendance allowance 1,635 5,332 
			 Carer's allowance 566 1,648 
			 Incapacity benefit 1,806 5,476 
			 Employment and support allowance 777 2,969 
			 Statutory maternity pay 190 1,815 
			 Income support 1,745 7,237 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 1,683 5,250 
			 Housing benefit 4,709 20,776 
			 Council tax benefit 5,733 4,959 
			 Other benefits - 7,032 
			 Total - 152,175 
			  Note: Some individuals are in receipt of more than one benefit.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the role of local GPs in medical assessments for the purposes of determining benefit suitability.

Maria Miller: Any information provided by a claimant's GP is fully considered by the Department's decision-makers, and there are processes in place to request this information where we think it would be helpful. However, GPs usually do not have specialist knowledge of disability analysis or the benefit system. Moreover, as advocates for their patients GPs are not well-placed to give independent advice to the Department on benefit entitlement.
	We are revising the forms we send customers to encourage them to submit any additional information, including information from their GP, at the beginning of their claim.

State Retirement Pensions: Uprating

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who will receive a lower pension as a result of the decision to index pensions and benefits to the Consumer Price Index; and what consultation he undertook with  (a) the UK Statistics Authority and  (b) other bodies before taking the decision.

Steve Webb: The Department's analysis of the equality impact of the policy changes to state pension and benefit uprating in the 2011-12 financial year is due to be published shortly in the equality impact assessment of the 2011-12 uprating order.
	The impact of using the consumer prices index (CPI) as the measure for price increases in private sector occupational pension schemes will vary from scheme to scheme. Consequently, the Department does not hold reliable data on the number of individuals affected. In preparing the impact assessment published on the Department's website on 8 December, we made a number of assumptions about the impact on schemes, and we are currently undertaking research to help improve the accuracy of those assumptions.
	There are approximately 12 million active, deferred and pensioner members of public service pension schemes. These individuals are likely to be affected by the change to CPI, but as the level of price increases in the future is uncertain, it is not possible to make an accurate estimate of the impact of these changes on all individuals.
	The effect of the change to CPI should be seen in the context of the restoration of the earnings link for the basic state pension, and the 'triple guarantee' that it will be increased by the highest of the growth in average earnings, prices or 2.5%.
	The Department made use of a range of information provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) regarding price inflation indices. The UK Statistics Authority has oversight of the ONS.

Unemployed People: Disability

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of unemployed disabled people in  (a) Scotland,  (b) England,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Miller: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
	The number of unemployed disabled people in  (a) Scotland and  (b) England, as per the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition of unemployment, is shown in the following table. We cannot provide estimates for Wales and Northern Ireland due to very small sample sizes in the source data set.
	
		
			  ILO unemployed disabled people in England and Scotland, 2001-10 
			  Thousand 
			   Scotland  England 
			 2001 20 195 
			 2002 21 175 
			 2003 21 185 
			 2004 18 161 
			 2005 17 191 
			 2006 20 225 
			 2007 25 221 
			 2008 20 246 
			 2009 32 262 
			 2010 35 325 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand cases. 2. The definition of disability used corresponds to the Disability Discrimination Act definition of disability. 3. The figures shown are for quarter 3 (July to September) in each year.  Source: Labour Force Survey.

Unemployed People: Dyslexia

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the proportion of unemployed people resident in  (a) Reading East constituency and  (b) England who are dyslexic.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for an estimate of the proportion of unemployed people resident in (a) Reading East constituency and (b) England who are dyslexic. (35449)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Unfortunately this source does not have information on the number of unemployed persons who are dyslexic.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any recipients of the childcare element of working tax credit will have a reduction in the level of their payments as a result of the introduction of the proposed universal credit; and what estimate he has made of the likely weekly net change in the level of such payments for each decile of population in the period from the introduction of universal credit to May 2015.

Chris Grayling: The Government are continuing to work with key stakeholders to establish how support for child care could best be delivered as part of, or alongside, universal credit. We will take account of the evidence collected from recent pilots designed to test different ways of accessing the child care element of tax credits. We will announce our conclusions over the coming months.

Universal Credit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely weekly change in income of families with children with savings of over £16,000 attributable to the operation of the taper on the introduction of the universal credit between its introduction and May 2015.

Chris Grayling: The Government have committed to providing protection to ensure that households in receipt of the predecessor benefits will not experience a reduction in their income as a result of the introduction of universal credit.

Work Programme

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms will be in place to ensure that the Work programme will be fully available nationally by its proposed start date.

Chris Grayling: The commercial process for the Work programme is on track. We have published the list of preferred bidders for the Framework for Employment Related Support Services and will publish the Work Programme Invitation to Tender before the end of the month.
	We want to ensure that as many people benefit from the Work Programme as soon as possible, and will launch the Work programme as soon as providers are ready to start delivery in each contract package area.
	We aim to roll the Work Programme out nationally by the summer of 2011.
	In the meantime, we are determined to ensure that there is continuity of provision, and that the transition to the Work programme does not leave any customer unsupported. Therefore, New Deal and Employment Zone contracts will be extended until June 2011, ensuring that customers referred to these programmes in March will be supported until the summer, when the Work programme will be rolled out.
	Before their referral to the Work programme, customers will have access to support delivered through Jobcentre Plus, including access to work experience, help to volunteer or take advantage of peer-to-peer support, as well as help with basic skills or jobsearch techniques and access to the Jobcentre Plus flexible fund.

Work Programme

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many companies have registered an interest in tendering for the Work programme.

Chris Grayling: All 35 organisations who were successful in competing to be accepted on to the Framework Agreement for the Provision of Employment Related Support Services were invited to submit a tender for the Work programme contracts on 22 December 2010. Of those 35 organisations, 32 have indicated that they will be submitting bids.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Debts: Advisory Services

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many submissions his Department has received in support of statutory regulation in the field of debt management; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The previous Administration conducted a consultation on whether a statutory debt management scheme should be introduced. We issued a summary of responses on 15 October 2010 which concluded that there was no strong consensus on the action that Government should take. The responses were published alongside our call for evidence 'Managing Borrowing and Dealing with Debt', which invited comments on the personal insolvency framework, including debt management. We have received a large number of responses to this call for evidence which are currently being analysed and will be published in due course. I have also received a number of letters on this subject.

Departmental Press Releases

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions his Department has provided embargoed media briefings prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010; in respect of how many such briefings his Department was informed that the embargo had been breached; what steps were taken as a result of each such breach; and on how many occasions his Department has provided media briefings without an embargo prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010.

Edward Davey: The Department has, on one occasion since 26 May, provided an embargoed media briefing in advance of an oral statement to the House. The briefing related to the publication of the Postal Services Bill and was held with the aim of ensuring accurate reporting of a significant, complex and large piece of draft legislation. The embargo was not breached.
	There are no instances of advanced media briefings given without an embargo, prior to an oral statement, since 26 May 2010.

Employment Law

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to receive the report of the cross-departmental review of employment legislation.

Edward Davey: The Employment Law Review is an ongoing programme of work which will last the duration of the Parliament. Individual Departments are looking at their legislation area by area. We will make any announcements that result from the review in due course.

Employment Services: Females

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the provision of information on resources available to assist women and girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics following the withdrawal of funding to the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology.

David Willetts: Information on careers is currently available from a range of sources. The Department funds a number of initiatives which promote STEM careers including the Big Bang Fair, the STEMNET Ambassador programme, and the work of the National Academies, and works with a wider range of partners who work to raise awareness of STEM across society.
	The new all-age careers service will bring together guidance resources for young people aged 13 to 19 and adults. They aim to provide professional, impartial, independent, comprehensive and diverse careers guidance to help young people and adults make informed choices about their careers, skills and learning, and to tackle any barriers to progression that they may face. They are working with the Careers Profession Alliance so that advisers have the up-to-date knowledge and skills they need to advise on career prospects, including for STEM subjects.
	My officials will work with UKRC to secure continuing access to the information the organisation has collated in recent years on STEM career resources for women and girls.

Higher Education: Finance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether social work will be treated as a priority subject in his proposed changes to arrangements for higher education funding.

David Willetts: We will set out our views on the priorities for the Higher Education Funding Council for England teaching grant in the forthcoming Higher Education White Paper.

Higher Education: Standards

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the quality of university education in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has a statutory responsibility to provide for the assessment of the quality of education provided in institutions that it funds. HEFCE contracts with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to conduct quality assessments on its behalf. The QAA checks how well individual higher education institutions meet their responsibilities for maintaining academic standards and quality. The QAA publishes the findings of its institutional audits and reports annually to HEFCE on activity undertaken against contract. Those reports are available on the QAA's website. I am not in a position to respond about the assessment of the quality of university education in Wales.
	In future, we have already announced our intention to publish a Higher Education White Paper covering a wide range of long-term issues.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people applied to enter higher education in 2011-12 in England and Wales  (a) in total and  (b) in full-time equivalent terms; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Figures on applicants to Higher Education (HE) courses in 2011/12 have been supplied by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Figures relate to applicants to full-time undergraduate courses. UCAS do not manage applications to part-time courses, so full-time equivalent figures are not available.
	Latest figures provided by UCAS show that as at 20 December 2010, there had been 322,790 applicants from the UK and overseas for the 2011/12 academic year who had made at least one choice to an institution in England. 44,308 applicants had made at least one choice to an institution in Wales.
	Applicants can make up to five choices on their application form (up to four if they are applying for medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine/science courses); therefore some applicants will be counted in both groups in the figures above. The figures will also contain applicants who have made choices to Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as England and Wales.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many funded places he expects there to be in higher education institutions for entry in 2011-12 in England and Wales  (a) in total and  (b) in full-time equivalent terms; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: We do not plan for the number of students attending institutions in Wales. In English higher education institutions we expect the number of full-time entrant places in 2011-12 to remain at 2010-11 levels. We announced in the 2011-12 Higher Education Funding Council for England Grant Letter that we were continuing to make provision for the 10,000 additional entrant places made available through the University Modernisation Fund in May 2010. There is not a student number control in place for part-time entrants, but given recent trends we would expect part-time entrant numbers to remain broadly constant. Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data for 2009/10 showed no change in part-time entrants to English higher education institutions.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from other EU member states he expects to attend English universities in each of the next three years; how many attended each university in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: We do not plan for the numbers of students domiciled in other EU member states separately from those domiciled in UK countries because students from anywhere within the EU are treated the same. The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in the table and can be found in the Libraries of the House.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of students from other EU member states he estimates will not repay their loans in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: We do not have any estimates of the number of students who will not repay their loans in each of the next three years. The Student Loans Company (SLC) Official Statistics Supplement to the June 2010 Statistical First Release
	http://www.slc.co.uk/pdf/SLCOSP032010.pdf
	shows the current position for EU students, in tables 1(iii), 1(iv), 2(iv), 2(v) and 3(iv) to 3(vi).
	The SLC has well established mechanisms for recovering loans from all students who move abroad and we are confident that these will enable us to effectively collect repayments from EU students in the future.

Postal Services: Finance

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Royal Mail has made an estimate of the savings which would accrue from reducing the number of postal deliveries to five per week.

Edward Davey: The Government's policy, as set out in the Postal Services Bill, is that the minimum requirements for the universal postal service must include at least one delivery of letters to addresses or other identified points every Monday to Saturday.
	As the universal service provider, Royal Mail will be obliged to meet this requirement. The costs involved in providing the universal postal service are a matter for Royal Mail and the regulator.

Science: Equal Opportunities

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to support women returning to work in science, engineering and technology after a career break.

David Willetts: The Government's approach to encouraging diversity in the STEM workforce, as set out in the science and research allocations published on 20 December 2010, will be refocused on specific actions integral to the programmes we fund. We will encourage those partners with whom we work closely to do likewise, and we will develop success measures that explicitly demonstrate progress on equality and diversity. This builds on the wider work of the Government to promote inclusive workplaces.
	In partnership with the engineering institutions, industry and others, the Royal Academy of Engineering will develop a new diversity programme in engineering, and the wider STEM work force, to widen participation among under-represented groups.
	We will continue to work with partners to consider how those individuals with particular needs, such as those returning to the workplace, might be supported.

Science: Higher Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many places for full-time equivalent students to study  (a) life sciences  (b) low-carbon technologies  (c) digital technology and  (d) advanced manufacturing at each university (i) there were in the last five years for which figures are available and (ii) he expects there to be in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 21 January 2011
	The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) uses the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) to classify subject areas. As this classification system does not correspond exactly to the subjects specified, the nearest alternatives have been provided in the table. Figures in the table refer to the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled on courses in each academic year. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will be available in January 2012 and can be found in the Libraries of the House. We do not plan for the number of students at a course or subject level.

Students: Loans

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the  (a) monetary value and  (b) proportion of student loans which will be irrecoverable for the purposes of his Department's annually managed expenditure estimates for each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

David Willetts: In the spending review period the full-time student tuition fee loan outlay is estimated to be £3.5 billion in 2012-13, £5 billion in 2013-14 and £6 billion in 2014-15.
	Additionally, outlay on maintenance loans is expected to be over £3 billion each year.
	The proportion of student loans which will be irrecoverable over the lifetime of those loans is estimated to be about 30p in the pound. This has been used in setting the Department's non-cash budget as a ring-fenced part of its departmental expenditure limit budget for each year of the spending review.

Teachers: Qualifications

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to require all new university academics with teaching responsibilities to undertake a teacher training qualification; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: This Government are committed to ensuring teaching excellence across the higher education sector. We are exploring with the sector ways in which excellent teaching can be promoted and incentivised, including through training. Plans for our wider programme of reform of higher education will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the monetary value of amounts paid by prospective air passengers to carriers but not then paid to HM Revenue and Customs as air passenger duty as a result of cancelled or missed flights in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010.

Justine Greening: APD is an excise duty that is levied on aircraft operators, not individual passengers. It is the airline which is responsible for paying the tax to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Although they are not required to do so by law, generally airlines pass on the duty charge to their passengers by way of a separately identified charge in the ticket price, which may also include other elements such as passenger service charges, insurance surcharges or tax imposed by other governments. Since any additional charges applied at the discretion of the airline are outside the remit of HMRC, no estimates of their value are available.

Animal Diseases: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision within the Contingency Reserve there is for emergency relief in respect of the outbreak of diseases affecting animals and livestock in the UK in each of the next four financial years.

Danny Alexander: The responsibility for animal health and welfare lies with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In Treasury budgetary guidance, Departments are encouraged not to allocate budgets fully against their programmes at the start of a financial year. This is to allow for contingency planning in the face of unforeseen pressures that emerge subsequently, including their known contingent liabilities.
	In exceptional circumstances a Department may make a claim on the reserve. As part of the spending plans announced in spending reviews, the Government allocate a reserve for genuinely unforeseen contingencies that Departments cannot absorb within their departmental expenditure limits.
	The overall size of the reserve is set out in Table 1 of the Spending Review document.

Child Benefit: Separated People

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the compliance of child benefit eligibility rules for separated couples with shared custody with the rights of the child as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The UK fulfils the relevant obligations of the UN convention on the rights of the child by paying child benefit to parents, to provide financial support for the benefit of their child or children.
	The law is clear that child benefit cannot be paid for the same child to two people in the same week. Section 144 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 states that where two or more persons would be entitled to child benefit in respect of the same child for the same week, only one of them only shall be entitled. The question of which of them is entitled is determined in accordance with schedule 10 to the Act.

Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the effectiveness of the process by which child tax credit and child benefit are transferred to other family members when they assume guardianship of a child.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for administering child tax credits and child benefit so I have been asked to reply.
	The Department aims to pay 60% of all new tax credits claims in 15 calendar days and 69% of new child benefit claims in nine working days. It can take longer to award new claims where a child is involved in more than one tax credits and/or child benefit claim because HMRC must make separate inquiries to establish the correct entitlements.
	HMRC Benefits and Credits keeps all of its procedural guidance under review seeking to make continuous improvements wherever necessary.

Corporation Tax

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the corporation tax losses declared in respect of the accounting period ending in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10 was carried back for offset against profits of previous periods; how much corporation tax was repaid as a result of such carry-backs of losses in each such year; and what the monetary value was of the tax losses carried forward for offset against future profits at the end of each such year.

David Gauke: Loss relief policy remains unchanged since the inception of the Corporation Tax regime in 1965.
	From HMRC databases it is estimated that in 2007-08 just over £5.1 billion of allowable losses were carried back by UK companies. In 2008-09 the figure increased to just under £7.8 billion. These figures represent the gross value and not the tax impact of allowing carry-back of these losses. Complete data for 2009-10 are not yet available.
	With regard to your question as to the value of tax repayments, the data provided by corporation tax returns it is very difficult to separately identify the total value of repayments made purely from carry back of losses; or the final value of losses made in-year that are carried forward across corporate groups. As such, these figures cannot be provided.

Departmental Film

Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on film production, including the filming of speeches, since May 2010.

Justine Greening: The Treasury has not spent anything on film production, including the filming of speeches, since May 2010.
	Since May 2010, the Treasury has added three films to its website. On each occasion the films were produced at no cost to the Treasury in partnership with other Government Departments' in-house communications teams.

Departmental Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have taken to comply with the Guidance of the Office of Government Commerce on promoting skills through public procurement issued in 2009.

Justine Greening: Treasury Group Commercial undertake commercial and procurement activities on behalf of the whole of the Treasury Group (HM Treasury, the Debt Management Office, the Asset Protection Agency, UK Financial Investments). All members of the Treasury Group Commercial Team have been made aware of the OGC guidance on skills and apprenticeships in procurement.
	Where appropriate contract conditions and performance requirements are included in major Treasury contracts.
	The Treasury's major suppliers have been made aware of the policy and guidance. By the end of 2009-10, the Treasury's major suppliers had provided at least 16 apprenticeship places. The major suppliers also offer a range of programmes including various NVQs, Skills for Life in Numeracy and Literacy, Investors in People, work placements and the Train to Gain initiative. At least one supplier has been awarded a National Employer Service contract, with the Learning and Skills Council.
	Treasury Group Commercial, as part of the plan to transform its commercial function, is looking to develop its strategic relationships with key suppliers that will include promotion of policy objectives (e.g. Skills, Apprenticeships, SMEs and Low Carbon Efficiency).
	The Royal Mint Advisory Committee has no independent procurement function.

Equality Impact Assessments

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his Department's paper Overview of the Impact of Spending Review 2010 on Equalities, which Departments were  (a) included and  (b) not included in the qualitative assessment referred to in paragraph 1.15 of the paper; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the source data on equality impact submitted by each Department referred to in paragraph 1.12.

Justine Greening: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The following Departments were included in the qualitative assessment of the equalities impact of the spending review which was published on 20 October:
	Department for Education
	Department of Health
	Department of Culture Media and Sport
	Communities and Local Government
	Department for Transport
	Business, Innovation and Skills
	Department for Work and Pensions
	Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Ministry of Justice
	Home Office
	Government Equalities Office.
	 (b) The following Departments were not included in the assessment:
	Cabinet Office
	Department for International Development
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	HM Revenue and Customs
	HM Treasury
	Home Office
	Law Officer's Department
	Ministry of Defence
	Security and Intelligence Agencies.
	A summary of the data submitted by each Department can be found in the publication 'Overview of the Impact of the Spending Review on Equalities' which was published alongside the spending review announcement. As these data relate to ongoing policy development, it would not be appropriate to place a copy in the Library at this stage.
	Full impact assessments will be considered and published by the relevant Departments as the full details of these policies are finalised.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he expects compensation payments under the Equitable Life (Payments) Act 2010 to eligible with-profits annuitants to be made;
	(2)  when he expects compensation payments to eligible Equitable Life with-profits annuitants to commence.

Mark Hoban: The Government have announced their ambition to commence payments to all eligible policyholders in the middle of this year.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of paying compensation to those Equitable Life with-profits annuitants who started their annuities before 1 September 1992.

Mark Hoban: With profits annuitants (WPAs) whose policies commenced before 1 September 1992 did so before any maladministration could have affected their investment decisions. Accordingly, they did not suffer a loss in respect of which any compensation would be appropriate.
	The reduction in the levels of annuity payments that they have experienced is largely due to a combination of poor investment market performance, and the fact that early annuity payments were artificially high due to the structure of the product and over-bonusing.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Equitable Life with-profits annuitants who are ineligible for full compensation will be able to claim some compensation if part of their annuities started after 1 September 1992.

Mark Hoban: With profit annuitants (WPAs) whose policies commenced before 1 September 1992 did so before any maladministration could have affected their investment decisions. Accordingly, they did not suffer a loss in respect of which any compensation would be appropriate.
	In order to be eligible, a policyholder must have had a policy which was invested in Equitable Life's with profits fund and must have paid a premium into that policy during the period between 1 September 1992 and 31 December 2000.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what consultation the Government plans to undertake on potential changes to the classification of duty on ready-to-drink beverages;
	(2)  whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment in respect of any proposed change to the classification of duty on ready-to-drink beverages.

Justine Greening: The June Budget announced a review of the taxation of alcohol, which included ready-to-drink beverages, and the Treasury held an informal consultation over the summer. Evidence and submissions were received from industry, health groups and academics. The Government reported on the review in November, and the results are available online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/alcohol_taxation.htm

Excise Duties: Fuels

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of progress on the introduction of a pilot scheme to discount fuel duty on petrol and diesel in the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles and the Isles of Scilly; and if he will consider extending the scheme to other rural communities in Scotland following the increase in the level of value added tax and fuel duty.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr MacNeil) on 21 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1143W. The Government are considering the exact scope of the pilot and at present has announced its intention to include the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and the Isles of Scilly.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Ian Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a fuel duty escalator for the road haulage industry; and what representations he has received on this matter.

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his policy is on relief for fuel costs for haulage companies registered in the UK;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential barriers to the introduction of any relief for fuel costs to be provided to haulage companies registered in the UK.

Justine Greening: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review along Budget timelines and routinely receives representations from stakeholders on a range of tax issues.
	Hauliers may reclaim VAT and deduct other business costs including fuel costs under existing business tax arrangements.

Financial Inclusion Fund

Sam Gyimah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the Financial Inclusion Fund.

Karl Turner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for funding the Financial Inclusion Fund after April 2011.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Inclusion Fund will close at the end of March this year.
	The Government will work closely with industry and other stakeholders to ensure that tackling financial exclusion remains a high priority.

Financial Services: Crime

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to announce the outcome of decisions on the structure of an economic crime agency.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government will be consulting on proposals for the Economic Crime Agency in the spring of 2011. Following that consultation we will consider the responses carefully before making any final decisions.

Forestry Commission: Land

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely level of net accruals to the Exchequer arising from the sale of Forestry Commission land accounting for  (a) income tax,  (b) capital gains tax and  (c) inheritance tax forgone through such sales during the comprehensive spending review period;
	(2)  if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief on the purchase and ownership of woodland and forests in each of the  (a) last and  (b) next four financial years.

David Gauke: An estimate of accrued income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax foregone from the sale of Forestry Commission land is not available.
	The main inheritance tax reliefs for woodland and forests are business property relief and woodlands relief. Business property relief has been estimated to cost £205 million in 2010-11, but this is a wide ranging relief and the cost in relation to woodland and forests is not available. The cost of woodlands relief in 2010-11 has been estimated to be negligible (less than £5 million). Published estimates of the costs of business property relief and woodlands relief can be found in HMRC's published Ready Reckoner tables at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table1-5.pdf
	and
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table-b1.pdf
	respectively. Estimates for later years are not available.
	Estimates of the cost to the Exchequer of tax reliefs for other taxes are not available.

Fuels: Prices

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of changes in automotive fuel prices on  (a) inflation and  (b) growth in each of the next four financial years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of levels of fuel duty on  (a) output and  (b) growth in the road haulage industry in each of the next four financial years.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 November 2010,  Official Report, column 576W. Through the measures set out in Budget 2010 the Government are tackling the fiscal deficit to secure growth and provide the confidence all businesses need to invest. The haulage industry will be affected by a range of Budget measures such as fuel duty and corporation tax changes.

Inflation

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of inflation on the reduction of the budget deficit.

Justine Greening: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) produced its latest forecast for inflation and the public finances in its November Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2010, available here:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/econ-fiscal-outlook.html
	The OBR will publish an updated assessment of inflation and the public finances at the Budget on 23 March 2011.

PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many national insurance (NI) contributions deducted from pay and recorded on form P14 were not credited to NI accounts in each year since 5 April 2004; and what the monetary value is of the contributions yet to be credited.

David Gauke: The number of unmatched P14s and the associated monetary values of the contributions received for the tax years requested are as follows:
	
		
			  Tax year  P14s not matched  Monetary value of contributions (£) 
			 2004-05 1,839,143 263,101,931.24 
			 2005-06 2,016,761 289,212,918.76 
			 2006-07 1,974,081 278,618,228.99 
			 2007-08 1,947,065 258,603,899.93 
			 2008-09 1,542,773 194,623,653.05 
			 2009-10 (1)- (1)- 
			 (1) Figures not yet available.

PAYE: United States Internal Revenue Service

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings his Department has had with the United States Internal Revenue Service on the operation of PAYE in the last 12 months; and what the outcome of such meetings was.

David Gauke: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Naomi Long: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the removal of end-year flexibility on the block grant for Northern Ireland.

Danny Alexander: The Government are abolishing the end-year flexibility system, including all accumulated stocks, at the end of 2010-11 and replacing it with a new system from 2011-12 which will retain an incentive to avoid wasteful end-year spending and strengthen spending control. Further detail will be set out later this financial year.
	The Government are standing by their existing commitment to the Northern Ireland Executive to draw down end-year flexibility (EYF) in the current year and their commitment to carry forward underspends for the Department of Justice under the terms of the £800 million funding package which accompanied the devolution of Policing and Justice.

Public Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average maturity of UK sovereign debt; and what information for benchmarking purposes his Department holds on the average maturity of sovereign debt of each EU member state.

Mark Hoban: As at 30 September 2010, the market value weighted average maturity of the UK's sovereign debt was 13.47 years. The Treasury does not routinely collect data on the average maturity of other sovereign issuers' debt portfolios. On occasion, the Treasury has made comparison with other countries using data from the OECD publication "Central Government Debt: Statistical Yearbook", available at:
	http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/statistics
	The Treasury does not currently hold up-to-date information on the average maturity of other countries' sovereign debt.

Public Finance

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the likely level of the cyclically-adjusted budget deficit in cash terms in  (a) 2014-15 and  (b) 2015-16.

Justine Greening: The latest forecast for cyclically adjusted public sector net borrowing as a percentage of GDP can be found in table 4.23 of the OBR's Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO). The latest forecast for non-seasonally adjusted money GDP can be found in table 4.2 of the EFO.
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/d/econ_fiscal_outlook_291110.pdf

Public Sector: Employment

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the change in public sector employment in Brighton and Hove in  (a) 2010 and  (b) 2011.

Danny Alexander: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published, as part of the 'Economic and Fiscal Outlook' on 29 November 2010, projections for general government employment to 2015-16, which can be found on the following webpage:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/d/econ_fiscal_outlook_291110.pdf
	The OBR has not published forecasts on a sub-national level.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many local tax offices closed in each year since 2005.

David Gauke: The number of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices closed in each year since 2005 are given in the following table. Most of HMRC's business is organised on national lines and it does not use the classification of 'local tax office'. Therefore the numbers provided are the total number of HMRC offices closed in each year.
	
		
			   Total number of HMRC offices closed 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 23 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 23 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 26 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 18 
			 April 2009 to March 2010 81

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proportion of notifications of change of address received by HM Revenue and Customs were acted upon in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what proportion of mail sent by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was returned undelivered in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the cost to HMRC of undelivered mail in each such year.

David Gauke: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as HMRC does not hold this data.

Statutory Concessions

Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he assessed the potential effects on caravan sites of the withdrawal of statutory concessions.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is withdrawing three extra statutory concessions (ESC) which relate to caravan sites, all with effect from 1 January 2012, because they exceed the scope of HMRC's administrative discretion. These cover the VAT treatment of connection to the gas or electricity mains supply, the recharge of non-domestic (business) rates and the recharge of water and sewerage rates. All of these concessions must be withdrawn because there are no legal vires in EU law which would permit them to be introduced in UK legislation.
	Although some initial estimates have been made, we anticipate representations from those affected by the withdrawal. Impact assessments will be prepared once these representations have been considered.

Tax Avoidance: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make if his policy to refer all tax disputes concerning liabilities greater than £500 million for parliamentary scrutiny prior to action by HM Revenue and Customs.

David Gauke: The Government have no plans to refer tax disputes for parliamentary scrutiny.
	There is already a statutory framework for settling all tax disputes. HMRC are authorised to settle disputes with taxpayers. However, where a settlement cannot be reached in that way the case is referred to the tax tribunal.

Tax Yields

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library the data for the chart on housing and financial sector receipts on page 187 of the 2009 Pre-Budget Report in respect of each year set out in that chart;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a breakdown in cash terms of receipts to the Exchequer for the chart on housing and financial sector receipts on page 187 of the 2009 pre-Budget report in respect of each year set out in that chart.

David Gauke: The data for "Chart a: Housing and financial sector receipts", on page 187 of the 2009 pre-Budget report is shown as follows.
	
		
			  Housing and financial sector receipts 
			   Percentage of GDP  £ billion 
			 1999-2000 3.2 30.4 
			 2000-01 3.7 37.0 
			 2001-02 3.3 34.4 
			 2002-03 3.1 33.4 
			 2003-04 3.1 35.4 
			 2004-05 3.3 40.6 
			 2005-06 3.8 48.1 
			 2006-07 4.2 56.1 
			 2007-08 4.2 59.8 
			 2008-09 3.4 48.7 
			 2009-10 2.6 36.9 
			 2010-11 2.9 43.1 
			 2011-12 3.2 49.2 
			 2012-13 3.4 55.1 
			 2013-14 3.5 60.4 
			 2014-15 3.6 65.8 
		
	
	The data for the chart is shown both as a percentage of GDP and in cash terms.

Taxation

Jack Dromey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on  (a) men and  (b) women of proposals to (i) increase the rate of value added tax, (ii) increase capital gains tax, (iii) use the consumer price index for calculating benefits and tax credits, (iv) abolish the Child Trust Fund, (v) reduce the Health in Pregnancy grant, (vi) reduce the Sure Start maternity grant and (vii) change public sector pensions.

David Gauke: The Treasury takes its equalities responsibilities very seriously. At the Budget, the Government published more information than ever before about the impact of the Budget in Annex A which showed the impact of tax and welfare changes on households.
	At the spending review, the Treasury published the document "Overview of Equalities Impacts of the Spending Review" alongside the announcement. This set out a qualitative analysis of the likely impacts of the spending review on groups protected by equalities legislation, including women.
	For each of the policies listed, the Treasury has made the following assessment of the proportionate impact on  (a) men and  (b) women:
	 (i) Increase the rate of value added tax
	The effect of the VAT change on men and women was considered and it was concluded that no effect on gender equality was expected as a result of this measure (because spending is best measured at a household level).
	Accordingly no specific results were included in the published impact assessment, although that document notes that gender equality was one of the types of testing undertaken.
	 (ii) Increase capital gains tax
	No estimate has been made of the proportionate impact on men or women of proposals to increase capital gains tax.
	 (iii) Use the consumer price index for calculating benefits and tax credits
	It is not possible to calculate robust estimates of the proportionate impact on men and women arising from the switch to CPI indexation for public sector pensions and benefits.
	This is because any such estimates would be based on assumptions about future rates of inflation, which would become more uncertain in later years. There is also uncertainty about behavioural or macro-economic effects which would affect the accuracy of any estimates for later years.
	 (iv) Abolish the child trust fund
	No specific gender impact of the ending of eligibility to the Child Trust Fund has been identified. The Child Trust Fund was intended to be for the benefit of the child, and children of both genders were eligible in exactly the same way. As such there will be no specific gender impact.
	A gender impact assessment was published alongside the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill (now the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Act 2010). This is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/leg_savings_heathpreg_equality_ia.pdf
	  (v) Reduce the health in pregnancy grant
	A gender impact assessment was published alongside the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill (now the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Act 2010). This is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/leg_savings_heathpreg_equality_ia.pdf
	  (vi) Reduce the Sure Start maternity grant
	The effect of the restriction of SSMG to first children on gender was considered by DWP as part of its equality impact assessment, which will be published in due course. DWP do not have individual level data to assess this impact. However, DWP expects that the majority of recipients of the SSMG are female and therefore likely to be particularly affected by this measure.
	 (vii) Change public sector pensions
	The value of a pension depends on unique individual factors such as work history, salary and personal financial decisions. Therefore it would not be possible to give an assessment of the proportionate financial impact of the switch to CPI indexation by gender without making large and sweeping assumptions about a complex set of inter-relating factors.

Taxation

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average  (a) cost and  (b) benefit to (i) men and (ii) women by 2014-15 attributable to the (A) increase in capital gains tax, (B) increase in the rate of value added tax, (C) one-year freeze on council tax, (D) changes to disability living allowance, (E) changes to tax credits, (F) freeze on child benefit, (G) changes to housing benefit, (H) changes to lone parent conditionality and (I) uprating of (1) public sector pensions, (2) additional state pension, (3) child tax credits, (4) working tax credits, (5) jobseeker's allowance, (6) disability living allowance, (7) employment and support allowance, (8) income support and (9) carers' allowance in line with the consumer prices index announced in the June 2010 Budget.

David Gauke: The Treasury takes its equalities responsibilities very seriously. At the Budget, the Government published more information than ever before about the impact of the Budget in Annex A which showed the impact of tax and welfare changes on households.
	At the spending review, the Treasury published the document 'Overview of Equalities Impacts of the Spending Review' alongside the announcement. This set out a qualitative analysis of the likely impacts of the spending review on groups protected by equalities legislation, including women.
	The Treasury has made the following estimates of the average  (a) cost and  (b) benefit to men and women by 2014-15 for each of the following policies:
	 (A) Increase in capital gains tax
	No estimate has been made of the average cost to men or women by 2014-15 attributable to the increase in capital gains tax.
	 (B) Increase in the rate of value added tax
	The effect of the VAT change on men and women was considered and it was concluded that no effect on gender equality was expected as a result of this measure (because spending is best measured at a household level).
	Accordingly no specific results were included in the published impact assessment, although that document notes that gender equality was one of the types of testing undertaken.
	 (C) One-year freeze on council tax
	There are no robust estimates of the benefits of the council tax freeze in England due to the fact council taxpayers are liable to pay council tax regardless of their gender.
	 (D) Changes to disability living allowance
	The June 2010 Budget announced that the Government will introduce the use of objective medical assessments for all DLA claimants from 2013-4. There is no particular reason to think that a fair medical assessment will have a particular impact on men or women.
	A full equality impact assessment will be carried out and published by the DWP once the terms of this policy have been developed.
	 (E) Changes to tax credits
	This information is not available. Tax credits are paid on a household basis. In order to understand the impact of changes to tax credits on men and women it is necessary to know how families share their income between themselves and their children (if any).
	 (F) Freeze on child benefit
	Child benefit is paid for the benefit of the child, not the claimant. It is not possible to produce a robust estimate of the average cost to men and women of such changes that would be sufficiently reliable to be useful for policy making.
	 (G) Changes to housing benefit
	  Setting local housing allowance at the 30th percentile of local rents
	The Treasury has not made an estimate of the average costs or benefits to men and women. The DWP has now published a final equality impact assessment covering this measure:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lha-eia-nov10.pdf
	  Uprating of non-dependent deductions
	A general equality impact assessment covering the overall uprating exercise will be published in early 2011, and DWP are preparing a separate assessment for the uprating of non-dependant deductions.
	  Using the consumer price index for local housing allowance and staged reductions for jobseeker's allowance claimants
	An equality impact assessment will be published when relevant legislation is brought forward in early 2011.
	  Social sector size restriction
	An equality impact assessment will be published when relevant legislation is brought forward in early 2011.
	  Additional bedroom for carers
	The DWP published a final equality impact assessment covering this measure:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lha-eia-nov10.pdf
	  Local housing allowance cap
	The DWP published a final equality impact assessment covering this measure:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lha-eia-nov10.pdf
	  Additional discretionary housing payments (DHPs)
	This measure is designed to provide targeted support to housing benefit claimants affected by the reforms. DHPs are made entirely at the local authority's discretion, however DWP has issued good practice guidance to local authorities on DHPs.
	 (H) Changes to lone parent conditionally
	The DWP will publish an impact assessment in due course.
	 (I) Uprating in line with consumer prices index announced in the June 2010 Budget
	It is not possible to calculate robust estimates of the average cost to men and women arising from the switch to CPI indexation for public sector pensions and benefits.
	This is because any such estimates would be based on assumptions about future rates of inflation, which would become more uncertain in later years. There is also uncertainty about behavioural or macro-economic effects which would affect the accuracy of any estimates for later years.

Taxation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he made of the revenue forgone by the Exchequer from  (a) corporation tax,  (b) income tax,  (c) National Insurance contributions,  (d) value added tax and  (e) other taxes as a result of companies being struck from the Register of Companies in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs does not retain the statistical data that would allow such estimates to be made.

Taxation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax relief measures are available in respect of woodland ownership; and what plans he has for the future of such measures.

David Gauke: Where inheritance tax would otherwise be due, a specific rule for woodlands allows for the tax to be deferred until the timber is harvested. The deferral only applies to the value of the timber not the land. In addition, a commercial business that is carried on which includes the ownership of woodland may qualify for the general exemption from inheritance tax that is available for business property.
	Any profits or gains arising from the occupation of commercial woodland are wholly outside the scope of income tax or corporation tax.
	All tax policies are kept under review.
	Given the current economic climate, Government policy must reflect the need to reduce the budget deficit. In this context and as stated in the coalition agreement, the Government have agreed that making changes to the personal allowance for income tax should take priority over other tax cuts. Any changes to tax relief measures in respect of woodland ownership will have to be considered with due regard to the Government's priorities of reducing the fiscal deficit and ensuring economic recovery.

VAT

Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of applications for value added tax registration resulted in a request to the applicant to provide signed and dated (a) supply contracts,  (b) purchase invoices and  (c) samples of advertising prior to the provision of a value added tax number; and what proportion of such requests resulted in the application being refused due to (i) suspected fraud and (ii) any other reason in financial year 2009-10.

David Gauke: HMRC received 207,899 applications to register for VAT in 2009-10.
	Further information to support the application is requested in up to one third of cases.
	These requests may include supply contracts, purchase invoices and samples of advertising but HMRC does not maintain a central record of the type of information requested, in respect of relevant registrations.
	The information requested on refused applications is not available.

VAT

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change to the average net income of retired households in each income decile attributable to the proposed increase in the rate of value added tax in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13,  (d) 2013-14 and  (e) 2014-15.

David Gauke: Value added tax is an indirect tax. Although prices on certain goods and services will increase as a result of the rate increase, incomes will be unaffected.

VAT

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect of the proposed change in the rate of value added tax on  (a) levels of unemployment in and  (b) the financial effect on the construction sector in (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland.

David Gauke: holding answer 10 January 2011
	The answer to this question falls within the responsibilities of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and I have asked the OBR to reply.
	 Letter from Robert Chote, dated 13( th) January 2011:
	As Chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility, I have been asked to reply to your recent question.
	The OBR's November forecast incorporated the estimated impact of policy measures announced at or before the June Budget, including the increase in the standard rate of VAT from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent that took effect from 4 January 2011.
	We have not assessed the impact of the change in VAT on levels of unemployment or the construction sector. However, the OBR applied a range of fiscal multipliers to help inform its judgement on the impact of VAT on aggregate demand in the economy. These multipliers are set out in Table C8 of the interim OBR's June Budget document. A figure of 0.6, for example, means that a measure which has a direct effect of raising revenue by 1 per cent of GDP is estimated to reduce aggregate demand in the economy by 0.6 per cent in the short run.
	The interim OBR's June 2010 Budget forecast and the OBR's November forecast assumed that the increase in the standard rate of VAT from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent would reduce the level of real GDP in 2011/12 by around 0.3 per cent.

VAT

Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of applications for value added tax registration resulted in a request to the applicant to provide a signed tenancy agreement or mortgage statement prior to the provision of a value added tax number; and what proportion of such requests resulted in the application being refused due to  (a) suspected fraud and  (b) any other reason in financial year 2009-10.

David Gauke: HMRC received 207,889 applications to register for VAT in 2009-10.
	Further information to support the application is requested in up to one-third of cases.
	These requests may include a signed tenancy agreement or mortgage statement but HMRC does not maintain a central record of the type of information requested, in respect of relevant registrations.
	The information requested on refused applications as a result of the request to provide a signed tenancy agreement or mortgage statement is not available.

VAT: Charities

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to bring forward legislative proposals to allow charities to reclaim value added tax; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: Charities can, and do, reclaim VAT subject to the normal VAT rules. They also benefit from a number of VAT zero rates and exemptions, in addition to many other tax reliefs. As far as the VAT that charities cannot recover is concerned, the Government have no plans to introduce a general refund scheme.
	The Government continue to look at ways of ensuring that VAT does not act as a barrier to the reform of public services where such options are open to us and affordable within agreed funding arrangements. For example, we are continuing to work closely with charities and other sectors to explore options for implementing the EU VAT exemption for cost sharing, and the recent announcement of a new VAT refund scheme for academy schools demonstrates the Government's willingness to create a level playing field for VAT where this can be done in a fair, targeted and affordable way.
	However, a general VAT recovery scheme for all charities would not be affordable or well-targeted; nor would it be fair to reimburse those charities which are in competition with other service providers.

VAT: Charities

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with charities about the effect of the increase in the rate of value added tax on the services they provide.

David Gauke: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from, and regularly meet with, charity representative bodies on a range of issues, including VAT.

VAT: Tourism

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on the tourism industry of the increase in the rate of value added tax.

David Gauke: No specific assessment has been made of the economic impact of the VAT rate increase on the tourism industry. The impact assessment published with the Budget in June 2010 provides information on the compliance costs to business overall of the VAT rate increase, but not at sector level.

Vodafone Group: Taxation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the potential effects of the tax settlement between HM Revenue and Customs and Vodafone Group plc on the operation of anti-avoidance rules for controlled foreign companies.

David Gauke: The controlled foreign companies (CFC) rules have been subject to challenge in both the European and UK courts regarding their compatibility with EC law. In 2009 the Court of Appeal found in HMRC's favour in a case brought by Vodafone. This did not determine any liability, but it allowed HMRC to open discussion with Vodafone and other customers about how the rules actually applied in practice.
	The Government are also consulting on reform of the CFC rules to ensure they are more closely targeted on artificially diverted UK profits.

Welfare Tax Credits

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effects on income of households in each income decile of the proposed reduction in the  (a) child care element of working tax credit and  (b) family element of child tax credit (i) in cash terms and (ii) as a proportion of income in each of the next five financial years.

David Gauke: Given the interaction of tax credit measures with other benefits, it is the overall impact of measures that is important for a household. At the June Budget and the spending review, this Government have taken the unprecedented step of publishing detailed distributional analysis of the impacts of its decisions for the first time (see for instance charts B.4 and B.5 in Annex B of the 'Spending Review 2010' document).
	This analysis shows that, when Budget and spending review measures are taken together, it is clear that the top decile contributes the most to the fiscal consolidation, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of net income.

Welfare Tax Credits: Armed Forces

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households of armed forces personnel in receipt of tax credits.

David Gauke: The information is not available.